Thank you for coming today to help us study such a critical area, to ensure that Canadians can be confident that the drugs they are taking are safe.
That's what I would like to ask you. Can Canadians feel a sense of security regarding our current post-market surveillance, particularly in relation to adverse drug reactions?
I know about some fairly recent experiences where there were very serious and potentially serious adverse reactions. I know from the literature we have received that it is not mandatory for health professionals to report. I'm sure many do, but based on what I'm seeing, perhaps many don't. I find it surprising and perhaps somewhat shocking that it is on a voluntary basis. I understand that industry does it on a mandatory basis, but for health professionals it seems to be optional. Perhaps you could illuminate us as to how many physicians in hospitals and in private practice are now routinely providing that information.
On this whole notion of voluntary, you mentioned rare adverse reactions, but how do we know they're rare? Someone could have a serious reaction and may be led to think it is very rare. In fact, if it hasn't been reported adequately, for whatever reason, maybe it isn't so rare. I think this is a critical area in terms of ensuring that confidence.
It sounds as if there is a need to improve. Are we going to make changes that will significantly improve that confidence level, or are we going to leave out this piece regarding information? It's the information that is going to lead us to the best possible decisions for Canadians' health and safety regarding pharmaceuticals.