Health committee  Are you asking about my experience with generics?

Health committee  As a medical student still, I'm not prescribing medications yet. We work with physicians and are involved in that management process. But as Mr. Keon mentioned, patients are using generics every day, Lipitor, atorvastatin. As evidence shows, generic medications are equivalent to brands.

Health committee  Absolutely. It's a real phenomenon.

Health committee  Yes.

Health committee  I don't have a number on how often that happens, but it's very frequent. In Saskatchewan, in my personal experience, there's a drug coverage booklet, let's say, that gives the cost of each medication. You're often going back and looking to see which medication to choose. While they're all approved by Health Canada and all are evidence-based, not every one is the gold standard treatment for that medical condition.

Health committee  I was bumped.

Health committee  Thank you. Good morning, and thank you, Mr. Chair and committee members, for inviting me to speak with you as you explore the development of a national pharmacare program. I'm a fourth year medical student at the University of Saskatchewan's College of Medicine, and I'm currently serving as the vice-president of government affairs for the Canadian Federation of Medical Students.