I think we need federal leadership.
In the last two or three years we've massively reduced the price of generics. We've also had the patent cliff, so a lot of the blockbuster drugs turned into generics. So it seems as though the cost containment has been working, but, basically, these are windfall savings.
Now the new business model is in place. It's about niche busters for specific niches—biologics, anti-cancer drugs—with very, very high prices. We're not ready for that. Provinces are not ready. We need a bulk-purchasing agency with a strong bargaining position in order to be able to negotiate lower prices for both biologics and anti-cancer drugs.
Can the Council of the Federation do that? I don't think so. The problem with provinces is that the new norm right now is the product listing agreement. Every province tried to get some deal with the drug manufacturers. But the product listing agreement, by definition, is a secret deal, and it's a way to lower the price for you by shovelling the cost to somebody else. Really, it's how you can play one province against another.