Drug Safety and Effectiveness Network

The Post-Market Drug Evaluation – Training and Mentorship initiative is an evolution of the Drug Safety and Effectiveness Network – Capacity Building. Building on the Drug Safety and Effectiveness Network’s foundation, the Post-Market Drug Evaluation – Training and Mentorship initiative aims to increase capacity in Canada to conduct research on the safety and effectiveness of drugs and biologics in real world settings. **About the Post-Market Drug Evaluation – Training and Mentorship Initiative** The Post-Market Drug Evaluation – Training and Mentorship Initiative carries the legacy of the Drug Safety and Effectiveness Network (DSEN), created in 2009 by Health Canada, CIHR, and other partners. DSEN aimed to increase the evidence on drug safety and effectiveness available to regulators, policy-makers, health care providers and patients; and build capacity within Canada to undertake high-quality post-market research in this area. For over a decade, DSEN generated new research and provided real-world evidence to Health Canada and other stakeholders for use in assessments of drug products' safety risks relative to their therapeutic benefits, and to support decision-making processes on public reimbursement, optimal prescribing and use of drugs within the Canadian health care system. DSEN also funded DSECT - a cross-disciplinary training platform providing training and mentoring environment in this area. In 2022, Canada's Drug Agency [welcomed the research arm of DSEN](https://cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/52601.html) under the [Post-Market Drug Evaluation (PMDE) program](https://www.cda-amc.ca/post-market-drug-evaluation-pmde-program), where decision-makers direct research queries on post-market drug safety and effectiveness. CIHR continues to provide funding support to the capacity-building stream, now through the Post-Market Drug Evaluation – Training and Mentorship Initiative. The initiative supports capacity-building in post-market drug safety and effectiveness research in Canada using various programmatic vehicles targeting training and mentorship.