Health Committee on June 18th, 2009

Evidence of meeting #28 for Health in the 40th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was pet.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

Committee Business

Briefing on the Health Implications of the Supply of Radioisotopes

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Rob Beanlands Director, National Cardiac PET Centre, Chief of Cardiac Imaging, University of Ottawa Heart Institute

Jean-Luc Urbain President, Canadian Association of Nuclear Medicine

Terrence Ruddy Professor, Medicine and Radiology, Chief of Radiology, Director of Nuclear Cardiology, University of Ottawa Heart Institute

François Lamoureux President, Quebec Association of Nuclear Medicine Specialists

Albert Driedger Emeritus Professor, University of Western Ontario

Sandy McEwan Medical Advisor to the Minister of Health, As an Individual

5:30 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Joy Smith

Yes, she's seeking unanimous consent for a point of order.

So I'm going to ask the question. Who is in favour of this point of order happening?

5:30 p.m.

Conservative

Bradley Trost Conservative Saskatoon—Humboldt, SK

I'm killing it here because I'm still not totally sure what we're doing here.

5:30 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Joy Smith

Well, all you have to do is raise your hand and say no, then.

5:30 p.m.

Liberal

Carolyn Bennett Liberal St. Paul's, ON

If you're not sure, then we can clarify for you, sir.

5:30 p.m.

Conservative

Bradley Trost Conservative Saskatoon—Humboldt, SK

I'd also like to talk with the witnesses to see if this is going to be a problem for them, if this will take a lot of effort or not. There are a few things like that.

5:30 p.m.

Liberal

Carolyn Bennett Liberal St. Paul's, ON

It's something that's going to have to happen, Mr. Trost.

5:30 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Joy Smith

Dr. McEwan, please.

Excuse me, let's hear Dr. McEwan, please.

5:30 p.m.

Medical Advisor to the Minister of Health, As an Individual

Dr. Sandy McEwan

Madam Chair, I'd like to very quickly put this in three parts.

The first part is the supply forecast. There is a supply forecast that is given to Health Canada and I believe passed on to the rest of the country on a weekly basis. The supply forecast on June 18.... Technetium-99m, molybdenum, will be running at 100%. Lantheus, to their direct customers, i.e., the hospitals that rely on Lantheus for a generator, 70%. Lantheus radiopharmacies, 50% today and tomorrow and going forward. So this is on June 18. That will increase to 100% next week. Thallium is not produced in reactors; thallium is produced in cyclotrons. That is 100%. Iodine-131, we've heard, is low this week. It is our belief that by a combination of the use of SAP, the special access program, and the supplier coming online again, that will be resolved in the next couple of weeks. Key to the long-term resolution of that, obviously, is bringing on South Africa and Australia to provide us with their supply. That's item one.

Item two, the provinces will have, I'm sure, their own internal assessment of where the generators are coming from. Certainly I would regard it as not inappropriate for me to try to collate information as it was available, and clearly that will be part of this role in my communications.

Finally, I think it's very important to understand the production schedules of the major reactors over the coming year. That was the focus of yesterday's and today's meeting that the NEA started.

5:35 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Joy Smith

Dr. McEwan, I thank you for your input to that.

The motion has been defeated.

I want to thank all the guests who came today and gave your very insightful information. I know the committee has been very interested in what you have to say. You came at very short notice, so I must give you a special thank you.

This meeting is adjourned.