Evidence of meeting #123 for Health in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was insulin.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
Liberal
Doug Eyolfson Liberal Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB
Thank you, Mr. Chair, for the second opportunity.
Ms. Lavergne, I appreciate what you said about New Zealand. This is one of the systems we looked at when we were studying national pharmacare. We were impressed that they have a truly universal system.
Liberal
Doug Eyolfson Liberal Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB
Exactly, yes.
One of the things we found with their system and one of the challenges we have is what the country pays for drugs. You might not know this, but Canada pays the third highest in the world for its drugs.
Liberal
Liberal
Doug Eyolfson Liberal Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB
There are many reasons for that.
Liberal
Doug Eyolfson Liberal Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB
If you had another two hours, I might tell you more.
Liberal
Doug Eyolfson Liberal Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB
It is a very good question, because we spent weeks asking that same question.
One of the reasons they and other countries with universal pharmacare make it sustainable is they're paying much less. We're getting a lot of push-back; I'm seeing it indirectly. I think all advocacy groups and all patients need to be aware. We're getting push-back from the pharmaceutical industry. Never mind pharmacare; they are saying right now that if Canada goes through with its plans to decrease what we pay for drugs, it's going to inhibit research and development. It will decrease the number of new drugs, and in their very words, will put Canadians' lives at risk. We are hearing that.
As an Individual
The next time they say that to you, you say, “Listen, pumpkin. I peed on a stick.” Forty-three years ago, I was peeing on a stick. The first glucose monitors were like cases. You had to put your whole hand in. We have really come a long way.
Look, insulin was invented in this province. We are not going to take that lying down. That's not going to happen. I don't believe that for a moment; I just don't. It doesn't make sense. It's not a logical conclusion.
Another thing I'm very worried about with pharmacare is I'm terrified that the insurance companies are somehow going to get in there.
November 20th, 2018 / 10:30 a.m.
Liberal
Doug Eyolfson Liberal Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB
It's funny you should say that, because that is another one of the groups that has been lobbying very heavily—
Liberal
Doug Eyolfson Liberal Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB
—against universal pharmacare. That's something we've had to manage.
They're not just lobbying the government. I will tell you that they're lobbying chambers of commerce. I've been shown documents. The Canadian Chamber of Commerce, in one of their position statements, contends that there'll be fewer new drugs, and it will jeopardize the lives of Canadians. It also says that universal pharmacare will add crippling payroll taxes and inhibit small business.
As an Individual
No, and we're already there. If you look at it, Karen and I.... She wasn't here when I made the statement about my husband's.... We said the exact same thing. I don't know if any of you realized that.
Conservative
As an Individual
Right. Also, we both looked at it not as a blessing. We're still paying 20%. Charlene doesn't have that luxury. We're already at the point where we can't afford to live on what the pharmaceuticals are giving us now. What's the difference? I don't want us to be in a situation like the Americans are. They're paying $500 for a vial of insulin that I'm paying $30 for. Let's get real. We can't afford to live now.
As an Individual
You know what? I'm sorry, but I think Canadians need to get smart and realize that our best ally is our government. I would much rather have you control all that, because I have faith that you will be fair. I don't have that faith with insurance companies or pharmaceuticals. I know you guys will be fair. I'd rather have you control it and take care of it. That's just my opinion.
Liberal
Doug Eyolfson Liberal Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB
Thank you.
That's what many of us have felt as well.
Would you say that, on the bulk of it right now, the current scheme we have is endangering the lives of many Canadians?
