Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I'd like to welcome all the witnesses and all my colleagues who have worked relentlessly over the past weeks and months. I wish everyone a merry Christmas, a prosperous New Year and a vaccination in 2021. That would be a great gift.
Mr. Adams, first of all, your organization represents many other patient organizations. I would like to point out that you support the principle of drug price reform, “in particular by lowering their prices so that they are in line with those of similar countries”, and therefore more affordable for patients.
Your first recommendation has two parts. In the first recommendation, titled “Phased implementation to immediately lower prices”, you state:
We urge the standing committee to request that the application of the new basket of comparator countries should proceed as planned to bring down prices … for all patients …
You also state:
We urge the standing committee to recommend that the federal government, through cabinet, direct a stay of implementation on parts of the regulations, deferring the application of economic factors in the determination of price to a second stage, pending further study and consultation.
Why do you say that?