Thank you, Chair.
Welcome, Minister.
Fourteen years ago my daughter, Vanessa Young, died tragically from a heart arrhythmia due to the prescription drug Prepulsid, which was deemed not safe and later removed from the market. In fact it was removed from the U.S. market three days after she died.
Vanessa's death and the deaths of many others could have been prevented with stronger safety warnings on labels and clear communication with doctors. Moreover, during our study on prescription drug abuse, a number of witnesses ranging from doctors to researchers testified that there needs to be stronger label warnings and restrictions put in place on prescription drugs that clearly identify addictive properties and potential adverse drug reactions.
Minister, several important steps have been taken to strengthen patient safety in Canada. Can you inform the committee on what is being done to strengthen drug and patient safety in Canada to better protect all Canadians from the potentially dangerous consequences of adverse drug reactions?