Mr. Chair, I said earlier on in the House and I also said it outside to the media, we fully accept the Auditor General's recommendations.
I met with her. We had a conversation about these issues. In fact, I will direct my department, as we make the changes to meet the recommendations that she has given and implement those recommendations, to consult her from time to time.
There are, as I said earlier, issues of consent and privacy. There are also issues as to whether or not we can bulk purchase these drugs for first nations people. The federal government delivers health care to 750,000 first nations individuals. There are thousands of pharmacies that actually provide those prescriptions to those 750,000 individuals. There are medical practitioners who deal with those issues.
Therefore, it is impossible for the federal government to bulk purchase those drugs that are given at the pharmacies by private practitioners, private pharmacists, and prescribed by private medical practitioners.