Health Committee on March 27th, 2012

[Kellie Leitch, Conservative, Simcoe—Grey, ON]

Yes.

[Michel Robidoux]

We have posted current and prospective back orders on our website since February 15. We did that for two weeks and then we realized we needed more transparency in working with the provinces, the hospitals, and the pharmacies. Our report has evolved significantly, and today it's one of the best, most comprehensive status reports we can provide to health care professionals. It enables them to see which format is discontinued or suspended and to use the report to plan the way to manage patients as best as possible.

[Kellie Leitch, Conservative, Simcoe—Grey, ON]

But you've only done that in the last 28 days.

[Michel Robidoux]

We announced the shortages on February 15—

[Kellie Leitch, Conservative, Simcoe—Grey, ON]

That's fine.

[Michel Robidoux]

—and I think if I go back two weeks later, we had this comprehensive report.

[Kellie Leitch, Conservative, Simcoe—Grey, ON]

On another issue, your company recently recalled drugs sent to hospitals because of a packaging error. So there is yet another place where transparency with the public may be a challenge. This resulted in important drugs also not being available. Patients arriving in hospital were not able to receive what they needed. A parent arriving with a child, maybe at the Hospital for Sick Children, was being sent home because of your drug not being available because of a packaging error.

Do you take responsibility for that?

[Michel Robidoux]

I thank you for raising the issue with regard to morphine. This is an issue we have dealt with.

[Kellie Leitch, Conservative, Simcoe—Grey, ON]

And could you tell me, please, and the committee how the mistake took place? How did that happen within your company, and what are you doing to make sure that this doesn't occur again? It contributed to shortages, but also, quite frankly, to the concern of the Canadian public.

[Michel Robidoux]

Yes. First, let me say we were very unhappy about this one product that had correctly labelled ampoules put in the wrong box. When we were made aware of the situation by one hospital in Ontario, we immediately quarantined all our current product. I have to say that this happened on the morphine 2 milligram per ml, which is one of the 13 presentations of morphine available on the market—one of the 13.

We worked rapidly with Health Canada to ensure patient safety, and at the same time to ensure supply.

[Kellie Leitch, Conservative, Simcoe—Grey, ON]

I don't want to know what you did after. How did the mistake happen?

[Michel Robidoux]

We're currently running an internal investigation about this situation. We're unhappy about it. We have found this one box out of a lot of 16,000 boxes, and clearly—

[Kellie Leitch, Conservative, Simcoe—Grey, ON]

I recognize you're unhappy.

[Michel Robidoux]

I recognize we're unhappy.

[Kellie Leitch, Conservative, Simcoe—Grey, ON]

How did the mistake happen, and what are you doing to fix it for the future? I would like to know what specific things you're going to do in your company to make sure that Canadian patients are safe.

[Michel Robidoux]

To address your previous question about supply, you affirmed that there was a shortage—

[Kellie Leitch, Conservative, Simcoe—Grey, ON]

I'd like you to answer the question I posed to you: what happened, how did it occur, and what do you plan to do to make sure it doesn't happen in the future—the specifics? I want to make sure that Canadian patients are safe.

[Michel Robidoux]

I'm not going to go into the specifics of that particular situation.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

Excuse me. At the committee, sir, you were asked a question. I will ask you to answer it specifically.

[Michel Robidoux]

We are currently running an internal investigation to strengthen our quality process in regard to packaging. That situation occurred in the packaging area of our site. We're currently reviewing this specific lot and ensuring that all of our processes are going to be strictly followed moving forward.

[Kellie Leitch, Conservative, Simcoe—Grey, ON]

I think my time is up.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

You have about another minute.

[Kellie Leitch, Conservative, Simcoe—Grey, ON]

I have one last question.

On March 12, Sandoz sent a note to the minister in which you stated specifically that you had adopted a comprehensive action plan to “help secure continued supply of critical injectable medications”.

What are the component parts of that comprehensive action plan? Could you please outline them to the committee? Again, I would like specifics, not generalities.

[Michel Robidoux]

From the get-go we worked to identify the key most important medically necessary products.

[Kellie Leitch, Conservative, Simcoe—Grey, ON]

In the last 14 days—you say from the get-go, so March 12 would be your get-go—who are the specific individuals you have worked with, and what are the specifics on them?