Mr. Chair, another thing that the Standing Committee on Health concluded was needed is this: specific resources dedicated to the Health Products and Food Branch of Health Canada for vigorous enforcement of direct to consumer advertising of prescription drugs.
We heard much testimony in our cross-country hearings that direct to consumer advertising definitely increases the use of prescription drugs, as citizens are inclined to identify conditions from these ads and ask their doctor for those particular drugs. We found out from studies done in the United States, which has direct to consumer advertising, that physicians, in order to keep their patients happy, are inclined to prescribe one of the new advertised drugs, which is probably more expensive than the generic drug they might have otherwise prescribed, thus driving up the cost of drugs in the country.
I wonder if Health Canada has begun to plan to enforce regulations that control direct to consumer advertising.