The Canadian Network for Observational Drug Effect Studies (CNODES): Reflections on the first eight years, and a look to the future

[Extract] The Canadian Network for Observational Drug Effect Studies (CNODES—www.cnodes.ca) was established in 2011 as a coordinating center and research network funded by the Drug Safety and Effectiveness Network (DSEN).1 DSEN was formed as a joint initiative of Health Canada and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (www.cihr‐irsc.gc.ca/e/40269.html), with the overall objective of providing high‐quality and comprehensive information on the safety and effectiveness of pharmaceutical products after they enter the Canadian market. CNODES' primary mission is to use population‐based Canadian and other databases through a distributed network to perform rapid assessments of drug safety and effectiveness. The research questions are usually proposed by Health Canada, the national drug regulator, but can also come other stakeholders such as provincial and territory drug plans. In 2016, funding was granted for an additional five years.