Realizing the promise of Real-World Evidence for better patient care

On May 28, the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy welcomed Deepak Anand, MPP and Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security and MPP Natalie Pierre, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services and to the Minister of Sport.  The visit highlighted the vital role of pharmacy education in training future pharmacists and advancing their work as accessible, frontline providers who strengthen integrated patient care. The discussion also highlighted the soon-to-be-launched Toronto Centre for Real-World Evidence led by Assistant Professor Mina Tadrous.  

"Ontario is home to some of the world’s brightest minds," said Deepak Anand, MPP for Mississauga—Malton. "It was a privilege to visit the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, one of the top pharmacy schools, and witness firsthand the vital role the Faculty plays in preparing the next generation of healthcare providers. The upcoming launch of the Toronto Centre for Real-World Evidence is a powerful example of how advancing both education and research can harness Ontario’s strengths—cutting-edge science, diverse data, and a collaborative health system—to deliver better, faster access to life-saving treatments across the province."  

Real-World Evidence (RWE) refers to clinical evidence derived from the analysis of real-world data on the use, and the potential benefits or risks, of a medical product or change in health system process or policy. This data can include records from health care administration centres including hospitals, pharmacies and insurance companies. 

Unlike clinical trials, which are conducted in strictly controlled environments and can exclude more than 50 per cent of the patient population, RWE captures data from routine clinical practice in a real-world setting, covering a diverse range of patients. This helps in understanding how drugs work in the general population, leading to more accurate, safe and applicable insights for patients and health providers. RWE can also help ensure that treatments reach patients sooner, especially for hard to study rare diseases.

  “Using RWE will accelerate the assessment of drug efficacy and safety, ensuring that effective treatments reach patients sooner,” said Tadrous, who also holds the Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Real-World Evidence and Pharmaceutical Policy – the first of its kind. “This new centre will connect the private and public sectors and develop Ontario as a leading global destination to conduct and learn about RWE. Implementing RWE will improve patient access to new therapies, speed up decision making, and support better health outcomes across the province and beyond.”  

Using RWE to accelerate access to medications and improve outcomes is gaining momentum globally, with an anticipated global market size of $50 billion driven by the approval of medications by the FDA, European Medicines Agency (EMA) and Health Canada.  

“The centre will advance Premier Ford’s stated priority at the Council of the Federation to accelerate drug approvals and improve patient access to life-saving treatments,” said Tadrous. “In Toronto we have the perfect combination of world-class researchers, rich health data from diverse populations, forward-thinking policymakers, and a collaborative health ecosystem. This is the perfect time to build for the future.”