Yes.
Evidence of meeting #50 for Health in the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was cdr.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Evidence of meeting #50 for Health in the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was cdr.
A recording is available from Parliament.
5:05 p.m.
Vice-President, Common Drug Review, Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health
I can't speak to that.
5:05 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rob Merrifield
I believe it's probably beyond the scope, unless somebody else wants to take a shot at it.
5:05 p.m.
Liberal
Carolyn Bennett Liberal St. Paul's, ON
Well, somebody has to have an opinion on this. We spend buckets of money. This is half the staff of Health Canada that do this. So where would you suggest I find that information?
5:05 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rob Merrifield
Okay, we have two who would like to quickly answer that. I'll allow the two quick answers, and then your time is actually well over.
5:05 p.m.
President and Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health
I think, Dr. Bennett, really it's Health Canada that would answer that question. The question you're asking is around the regulatory process, if I'm not mistaken. In that case—
5:05 p.m.
Liberal
Carolyn Bennett Liberal St. Paul's, ON
Yes, I'm asking the provincial guys whether they can help us decide whether they think this is value-added.
5:05 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rob Merrifield
We're going to allow a quick answer from Mr. Nakagawa; then we will move on.
5:05 p.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Pharmaceutical Services, British Columbia Ministry of Health
My gut response is that I would be very surprised if there were a substantial difference between the Health Canada review and the decisions of other jurisdictions.
The timing sometimes is due to the time the manufacturer applies. The manufacturer doesn't apply to Canada at exactly the same time as to other jurisdictions. Then it just becomes the capacity of those individual systems to process within their mandates.
But I think it really is a Health Canada question, to be honest.
5:05 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rob Merrifield
Thank you very much.
Now we're going to go to round two, and we have Mr. Batters. You have five minutes.
5:05 p.m.
Conservative
Dave Batters Conservative Palliser, SK
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
The CDR makes decisions that impact upon patients, so patients deserve to know to whom the CDR is publicly accountable. My question is very simple: to which elected person or persons are you, or is the CDR, directly accountable?
5:05 p.m.
Co-Chair and Deputy Minister, Saskatchewan Health, Government of Saskatchewan, Conference of Deputy Ministers of Health
The CDR is directly accountable to the deputy ministers of health, who in turn are directly accountable to the ministers of health, who are in turn directly accountable to their legislative bodies.
5:05 p.m.
Conservative
Dave Batters Conservative Palliser, SK
What about the 30% of federal dollars that pay for the CDR? What's the accountability on a federal level, Mr. Wright?
5:05 p.m.
Co-Chair and Deputy Minister, Saskatchewan Health, Government of Saskatchewan, Conference of Deputy Ministers of Health
I can't speak to the federal government. I can speak to the provincial and territorial governments .
5:05 p.m.
Conservative
Dave Batters Conservative Palliser, SK
Can anyone speak to the accountability at the federal level for the 30% of federal funding that funds CDR?
5:05 p.m.
Co-Chair and Deputy Minister, Saskatchewan Health, Government of Saskatchewan, Conference of Deputy Ministers of Health
I'm assuming, Mr. Chair, that's why we're here, for the 30% that the federal government does. I expect that the federal—
5:10 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rob Merrifield
I think the question is about—and I'm just looking for it—the accountability on the federal side, just as information.
5:10 p.m.
Conservative
5:10 p.m.
Co-Chair and Deputy Minister, Saskatchewan Health, Government of Saskatchewan, Conference of Deputy Ministers of Health
The accountability mechanism would still be the same, in my opinion, Mr. Chair, which would be through the deputy minister, Mr. Morris Rosenberg, through to the minister, Mr. Tony Clement, through him to cabinet, and through cabinet into the legislative body.
5:10 p.m.
Co-Chair and Deputy Minister, Saskatchewan Health, Government of Saskatchewan, Conference of Deputy Ministers of Health
Yes, that's right.
5:10 p.m.
Conservative
Dave Batters Conservative Palliser, SK
Which government auditors review CDR and evaluate whether there's value for money for Canadian taxpayers?