Evidence of meeting #42 for Health in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was shortages.
A recording is available from Parliament.
12:50 p.m.
NDP
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
This is my final short snapper.
We're not talking about this as just an episodic problem right now because of flu season and Tylenol; we're talking about a systemic issue that cuts across antibiotics, pediatric oncology drugs and anaesthetics. It's across the board. Am I correct in that?
12:50 p.m.
NDP
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
In October 2020, you wrote the following in Policy Options:
[W]e have given less thought to a key policy that could build redundancy in our critical drug supply and even create...well-paying jobs for that much needed COVID-19 economic recovery: manufacturing drugs in Canada. Until we domestically produce select, critical medications (and their precursors), we will not be able to secure our drug supply and will be left at the mercy of other countries when the future waves of the pandemic arrive.
Could you please outline for us why domestic manufacturing is necessary to ensure pharmaceutical security in Canada?
12:50 p.m.
Physician, Critical Drugs Coalition
Absolutely. I do think that when it comes to critical medications, we're seeing exactly what happens. We're seeing people going to emergency departments to get their hands on pediatric formulations of Tylenol. We saw shortages of key anaesthetics that I use in emergency care and the ICU.
Some kind of redundant capacity, some ability to make critical medications, really is an issue of security. In the U.S. they actually see it as a matter of national security. Hence, there was an executive order passed during COVID-19 that very clearly defined what those critical medications and other inputs in hospital were and how they could actually use the Defense Manufacturing Act to make them in the United States.
That's how they've dealt with it. They do have shortages, but it's just been managed much better, in that sense.
12:55 p.m.
NDP
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
We're seeing Australia and the United States send a surplus of pediatric pain medications, so they clearly have enough for their domestic supply.
I want to ask you this quickly. We've already heard that Australia requires manufacturers in Australia to hold a four- to six-month stock of critical medicines. Is that something that Canada should do?
12:55 p.m.
Physician, Critical Drugs Coalition
I would agree with that. Yes.
As I said earlier, we can be quite sophisticated about stockpiling. We have to look at all the inputs. It's not just the fill and finish of the tablet and the drug itself; there's the active pharmaceutical ingredient, mostly sourced from India and China, that we know about. Oftentimes, that's a rate-limiting step in the manufacture of product, be it a supply of active pharmaceutical ingredient, be it some kind of manufacturing redundancy or be it true physical stockpiles of certain select critical medications.
That's something we definitely need to look into.
12:55 p.m.
NDP
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
Mr. Chair, do I have any time left? I'd like to give my last question to Mr. van Koeverden if he....
12:55 p.m.
Liberal
Adam van Koeverden Liberal Milton, ON
Thanks, Don. I appreciate that.
I won't get a chance to ask any questions.
12:55 p.m.
Liberal
Adam van Koeverden Liberal Milton, ON
Thanks.
I have a quick question for each of you.
Mr. Mousseau, you mentioned the PMPRB. These are non-patented drugs that we're investigating today. Does the shortage apply to the PMPRB?
12:55 p.m.
Director General, Association québécoise des distributeurs en pharmacie
No. The pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance looks at generic drugs. It's the same phenomenon.
12:55 p.m.
Liberal
Adam van Koeverden Liberal Milton, ON
I was confused. Thank you.
Mr. Harrington, it's sometimes tough to recognize when a severe crisis has been averted. In this case, I think it's fair to say you can't take a win, but we've done a lot. You've done a lot. I think it's impossible to claim a win when people are struggling and suffering, but I recognize there's been a lot done. I appreciate that.
Could you speak to what has been done and the degree to which you've been in touch with the federal government over the last couple of months?
12:55 p.m.
Senior Advisor, Food, Health & Consumer Products of Canada
The challenge, when Health Canada communicated very early on that they were open to flexibilities for imports and manufacturing, etc., was making sure that we were able to channel and connect the manufacturers with Health Canada and identify which kinds of flexibilities would make a difference.
I'll reiterate what's already been said. So far, getting over regulatory barriers has not been a significant factor.
12:55 p.m.
Liberal
Adam van Koeverden Liberal Milton, ON
Thank you very much for that.
Ms. Gruenwoldt, thank you for being here. Thank you for your consistent advocacy for kids.
Do you think it was prudent to ensure that incremental supply was sent to hospitals, given the enormous surge in hospital visits?
12:55 p.m.
President and Chief Executive Officer, Children's Healthcare Canada
Yes. We were seeing a large number of very sick, very young children who needed that level of care in the hospital. Their supply was critical.
12:55 p.m.
Liberal
Adam van Koeverden Liberal Milton, ON
Thank you.
We as MPs have the ability to communicate to lots of people. Do you have advice for us on how we can...?
You mentioned vaccination. It's flu season. We should be making information available to our constituents. Is there any advice to us as MPs on how to communicate that clearly and in a way that is efficacious in getting more people vaccinated?
12:55 p.m.
President and Chief Executive Officer, Children's Healthcare Canada
I think clear and consistent recommendations from trusted leaders, whether those are health care professionals or folks like you, are really important to help parents make those decisions to immunize their children and themselves in a timely fashion.
It's the same with the masking. I think we lead by example.
12:55 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Sean Casey
Thank you, Mr. van Koeverden.
Thank you, Ms. Gruenwoldt.
Colleagues, we have a couple of minutes left. We're going back to the Conservatives.
Dr. Ellis, knowing we have only a couple of minutes, go ahead.
12:55 p.m.
Conservative
Stephen Ellis Conservative Cumberland—Colchester, NS
Thank you, Chair.
I'd like to move that we resume debate on the motion and that we move straight to a vote, please, sir.
12:55 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Sean Casey
It's a non-debatable motion that we resume debate on the motion in the minute and a half that we have left.
(Motion agreed to)
The debate is on the motion for the next minute.
We'll have Dr. Ellis, Mr. Davies—