Evidence of meeting #99 for Veterans Affairs in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was research.
A recording is available from Parliament.
5:20 p.m.
Director General, Health Professionals Division, Chief Medical Officer, Department of Veterans Affairs
Right, every doctor in Canada can give authorizations. If you have an MD or if you're a nurse practitioner with that scope of practice in your province, you can provide that, so the list would be very—
5:20 p.m.
Conservative
Cathay Wagantall Conservative Yorkton—Melville, SK
It's a question of how many, I guess. That's what I'm asking. How many are authorizing at this point?
5:20 p.m.
Liberal
5:20 p.m.
Director General, Health Professionals Division, Chief Medical Officer, Department of Veterans Affairs
Absolutely.
5:20 p.m.
Liberal
5:20 p.m.
Liberal
Darrell Samson Liberal Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS
Yes, I have two quick questions. In talking about specialists, in Nova Scotia we don't have a specialist who can authorize or who does authorize—zero. We've asked VAC to help us out now for two years and we haven't had any success.
5:20 p.m.
Director General, Health Professionals Division, Chief Medical Officer, Department of Veterans Affairs
Well, any specialist can authorize.
5:20 p.m.
Liberal
Darrell Samson Liberal Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS
There's no specialist in Nova Scotia who's able.... There's only one and he doesn't authorize.
5:20 p.m.
Chief of Psychiatry, Health Professionals Division, Department of Veterans Affairs
Again, as a physician—
5:20 p.m.
Liberal
Darrell Samson Liberal Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS
I'm talking about 10 grams over three grams, specialists.
5:20 p.m.
Chief of Psychiatry, Health Professionals Division, Department of Veterans Affairs
Yes, so what you're asking of a physician is to authorize something for a patient, and there's no evidence of what it does—
5:20 p.m.
Liberal
5:20 p.m.
Chief of Psychiatry, Health Professionals Division, Department of Veterans Affairs
If it's for a mental health problem, any psychiatrist can authorize over three grams for a veteran.
5:20 p.m.
Liberal
Darrell Samson Liberal Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS
There's no one in Nova Scotia who authorizes.
5:20 p.m.
Chief of Psychiatry, Health Professionals Division, Department of Veterans Affairs
Well, they may not do it, but what I'm saying is that they can.
5:20 p.m.
Liberal
Darrell Samson Liberal Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS
Yes, but VAC, are you helping to find doctors who do?
5:25 p.m.
Chief of Psychiatry, Health Professionals Division, Department of Veterans Affairs
5:25 p.m.
Director General, Health Professionals Division, Chief Medical Officer, Department of Veterans Affairs
Our policy is to reimburse. My main concern is the well-being and the safety of the veterans.
5:25 p.m.
Director General, Health Professionals Division, Chief Medical Officer, Department of Veterans Affairs
When there is a substance that has no proven effect—
5:25 p.m.
Liberal
Darrell Samson Liberal Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS
Doctors, with all due respect, that's not my question. The question is: Is there a process for receiving more than three grams?
5:25 p.m.
Director General, Health Professionals Division, Chief Medical Officer, Department of Veterans Affairs
Yes.
5:25 p.m.
Chief of Psychiatry, Health Professionals Division, Department of Veterans Affairs
Yes.
5:25 p.m.
Liberal
Darrell Samson Liberal Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS
That process is not available in Nova Scotia.
5:25 p.m.
Director General, Health Professionals Division, Chief Medical Officer, Department of Veterans Affairs
It is. The specialists are not willing, because there is no evidence. They're not willing to provide that authorization to their patients, because their concern is for the well-being of their patients. I cannot force—
