National Antiviral Stockpile

The National Antiviral Stockpile (NAS) is a federal Government of Canada response to the needs of the health care system in case of an emergency. It is a responsibility of the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC).

Synopsis
The NAS was begun immediately after the SARS pandemic that hit hospitals in Toronto particularly hard. While province of Ontario SARS Commissioner Justice Archie Campbell refrained from issuing any recommendations to form a stockpile, such need existed in the mind of the Martin government, who tasked their newly-instantiated Chief Public Health Officer of Canada with its roll-out. In the event, Dr David Butler-Jones performed the task.

The NAS anticipates a pandemic and therefore procures antiviral health supplies. The Federal Budget 2006 allocated $600 million for general pandemic planning and preparedness activities, such as the NAS: In collaboration with provincial and territorial governments, the federal government created the National Antiviral Stockpile in the fall of 2004. The National Antiviral Stockpile is a federal/provincial/territorial government-controlled supply of antiviral drugs: enough to treat 17.5 percent of the Canadian population. The National Antiviral Stockpile is held in provincial/territorial warehouses; the provinces and territories are responsible for the implementation of the national antiviral strategy and distribution of antiviral drugs from the National Antiviral Stockpile in their jurisdictions. Antivirals in this stockpile are used for early treatment in an emergency, targeting those who are deemed to be most at risk of serious morbidity and mortality. It was agreed that antivirals would be distributed on a per capita basis to the provinces and territories, each of which would have responsibility for care and control under the terms of a national agreement for use.