Sandoz already has supply contracts with Canada's three biggest wholesalers. Unfortunately, it's become clear that was not enough to meet the needs. Our three conditions overlap to an extent. For instance, we will certainly want to protect essential painkillers like morphine and ensure access to a number of producers who will guarantee its availability. At the provincial level, in terms of group purchasing, penalties are already set out for cases where companies fail to supply the products. However, that does not seem to provide sufficient protection.
When it comes to drugs, we must also keep in mind the ripple effect, which very often forces us to obtain supplies abroad. For instance, when a specific painkiller is no longer available, we use another one. However, if the production of that other painkiller was planned to meet the needs of perhaps 50% of the market and not of the whole market, the result is a domino effect. That really makes us very vulnerable. It is a very important issue.
I agree that a security clause should be included, but I think it would have a limited effect as long as access to medications through two or three suppliers is not guaranteed and as long as a balanced rotation and allotment mechanism involving a certain number of distributors and producers is not implemented.