Thank you.
What I wanted to say is that in addressing the drug shortage issue, we can't as government do this alone, which is why we reached out to the industry, in terms of bringing them all together, having a conversation in terms of how we can address the area of drug shortages, because it does occur at different stages of the chain, from producing to dispensing it. Our government is playing a leadership role when it comes to that, and we are doing many of the things that President Obama has announced. We started this process in the spring. I have also taken action on the file last month, and the drug companies have met together. I'm very pleased with the response we have received from the companies. The information about drug shortages will soon be available, as I mentioned.
Over the long term, though, industry will be exploring the development of a national one-stop drug shortage monitoring system, and this is what it is collaborating on. Final details are still being worked out, but I'm very encouraged by how industry has responded on our call for action.
I'll also be raising this issue in the health ministers meetings this week, and I plan to update them on the actions I have taken. I will also call on the provinces and territories to take appropriate action on this file, as they are responsible for approving what falls within their formulary as publicly covered drugs.
My department has been in touch with international counterparts, the United States as well, on the issue of drug shortages, and we'll continue to monitor it. I'm looking forward to receiving the feedback from industry on that.
Thank you.