Evidence of meeting #24 for Health in the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was accord.
A recording is available from Parliament.
11:55 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joy Smith
Thank you very much.
We'll now go to the second round, which is a five-minute round, beginning with Mr. Temelkovski.
Noon
Liberal
Lui Temelkovski Liberal Oak Ridges—Markham, ON
Thank you very much, Madam Chair, and welcome back.
Thank you to the presenters.
I would also like to thank the department for all the hard work. We're not as evil as the government makes the opposition out to be.
Of the overall budget of $42 billion that was to be spent on health care, how much was dedicated to the pharmaceutical strategy?
Noon
Senior Chief, Federal-Provincial Relations Division, Federal-Provincial Relations and Social Policy Branch, Director's Office, Department of Finance
The government made a number of commitments under the new funding. There was an existing health transfer. An additional $41.3 billion was added, which included some short-term commitments for health care and pharmaceuticals. There was an increase in the base of the Canada health transfer of $500 million specifically for home care and pharmaceuticals. But the Canada health transfer, as a large unit, goes to the provinces and territories, and they report overall on how they use those funds. They're not expected to indicate that $12 from their total transfer went to x. It goes into their overall health budget, and then they allocate it according to their respective priorities.
Noon
Liberal
Lui Temelkovski Liberal Oak Ridges—Markham, ON
So there's nothing specific that says to the provinces that they have to develop a pharmaceutical strategy with this much money as allocated to that specific issue. Right?
Noon
Senior Chief, Federal-Provincial Relations Division, Federal-Provincial Relations and Social Policy Branch, Director's Office, Department of Finance
They have the commitments in the health accord, and they were given additional funding, but how they link the commitments and how they apportion the overall Canada health transfer is up to them to determine, according to their priorities, and then report to their public.
Noon
Liberal
Lui Temelkovski Liberal Oak Ridges—Markham, ON
I understand a committee has been struck with regard to the national pharmaceutical strategy. Am I right?
Noon
Assistant Deputy Minister, Health Policy Branch, Department of Health
There has been federal-provincial-territorial work specifically on the national pharmaceutical strategy. One of the ways in which the federal government supports it--and this committee has looked at the common drug review process--is to provide funding directly to the Canadian agency for assessment of health care technologies, which includes drugs and aspects of the common drug review.
Noon
Liberal
Noon
An hon. member
There's not even a federal co-chair. Canada meets on a regular basis.
Noon
Assistant Deputy Minister, Health Policy Branch, Department of Health
The FPT committee on the national pharmaceutical strategy issued a report in 2006.
Noon
Liberal
Lui Temelkovski Liberal Oak Ridges—Markham, ON
So they have not met since 2006 to set their priorities and their goals and objectives?
Noon
Assistant Deputy Minister, Health Policy Branch, Department of Health
I don't know whether the committee has met. We can give you information on meetings if you'd like. We continue to work with the provinces on forward-looking aspects of the national pharmaceutical strategy.
Noon
Liberal
Lui Temelkovski Liberal Oak Ridges—Markham, ON
Maybe you can also provide us with the name of the co-chair of that committee as well, please.
Continuing on that, could you tell us what has been done to establish a common national drug formulary for participating jurisdictions?
Noon
Assistant Deputy Minister, Health Policy Branch, Department of Health
As I noted, that would be the work that's done now under CADTH on the common drug review. It still remains that each province decides whether or not to take the recommendations from the common drug review.
Noon
Liberal
Lui Temelkovski Liberal Oak Ridges—Markham, ON
Okay. Is there any development on the breakthrough drugs? It says here to accelerate access to breakthrough drugs--that was part of the program. Are you aware of any accelerated plans taking place to make these drugs available to Canadians?
Noon
Assistant Deputy Minister, Health Policy Branch, Department of Health
I'm sorry, that's really more of a regulatory question, and I don't have the answers here. We'll get you an answer.
Noon
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joy Smith
Could you direct that answer to the clerk's office, and she can distribute it to all the members? Thank you, Dr. Dodds.
Noon
Liberal
Lui Temelkovski Liberal Oak Ridges—Markham, ON
How about the purchasing strategies? It was mentioned in the accord that there will be purchasing strategies put together to assess best prices available to Canadians for their drugs. Has that review gone on, or where is it in the program? Has it been initialized? Is it in the middle? Is it near its final stages? We're also speaking on this in terms of vaccines as well.
12:05 p.m.
Conservative
12:05 p.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Health Policy Branch, Department of Health
With respect to pricing and purchasing strategies, work has focused on non-regulated business management approaches such as price negotiations, and some provinces are exploring opportunities for multilateral buying groups. Also, the federal Competition Bureau undertook a study to examine the potential causes for the relatively high prices of generic drugs and how to make the markets work better.
12:05 p.m.
Conservative
David Tilson Conservative Dufferin—Caledon, ON
I understand the accord talked about primary health care. I think you mentioned some of that in your remarks.
There were governments committed to ensuring that they meet the objective of 50% of Canadians having 24/7 access to multidisciplinary teams by 2011. There were a number of other commitments made. Can you give us any details of the progress from the time the accord was made up until now with respect to those commitments?
12:05 p.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Health Policy Branch, Department of Health
All provinces and territories have implemented initiatives to meet those commitments. Indeed, in all jurisdictions, multidisciplinary teams have been set up. Almost all jurisdictions have set up 24/7 health information lines that are staffed by nurses and other health professionals who offer health advice.
Most jurisdictions are also continuing to implement primary health care renewal measures. In some cases, provinces are better coordinating various types of care services while others are improving chronic disease management.
All provinces and territories have accelerated the development and implementation of electronic health records and telehealth, in large part by working on projects with Canada Health Infoway, which has been funded with $1.6 billion in federal investments. Infoway and the provinces and territories have made significant advancements on this front--for example, 54% of diagnostic imaging exams are now filmless, and 67% of Canadians are now uniquely identified in client registries.
The Health Council confirmed in its February 2007 report that seven provinces and territories are on track to achieve the goal of 50% of residents having access to an electronic health record by or before 2010, although all provinces and territories are still working toward the 50% goal.