Madam Chair, I think this is a very important question and I'm very pleased to address it with the committee.
The cost of pharmaceuticals is an issue worldwide. It is an issue for health systems generally and there are many facets to it. The minister referenced the appropriate use of pharmaceuticals. That's an area where we see variation internationally in terms of the use of pharmaceuticals. We see that variation within the country. There are a number of agencies, including the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technology in Health that try to support provinces, the colleges of physicians and others to try to give people the tools to use best practices in terms of appropriate prescribing.
We also have a number of factors like the common drug review. Again, Canada has moved to a one common drug review. Provinces and territories are able to take up those recommendations or not, but we do the kind of evaluation of the cost benefit of the appropriateness of the drugs once in the country and give that as a tool. That's a considerable commonality in drug programs that wasn't there before.