In a word, the pandemic has shown that we need an adequate supply in Quebec and in Canada. In our case, we are talking more about Quebec.
Our main request is to have pharmaceutical production capability at home. The reform of the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board, which has been under way for some years, was conceived prior to the pandemic and is no longer appropriate for today's reality. We know that the federal government has already postponed the changes that the board proposed until July 2022 and we are grateful to it for that. However, we feel that the objective is not to postpone the reform but to look at it again.
We are aware that the system still needs to be modernized. But the basis of that reform must reflect our recognition of the need to have medications produced at home. Importing medications in crisis situations poses supply problems. We would therefore like the reform to be focused on reestablishing the pharmaceutical industry at home, in Quebec. We used to have many companies in the sector and there are still a lot, but real advantages can be gained by re‑examining that reform.