Rona Ambrose

[Questions on the Order Paper, June 17th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, in response to parts (a) and (b), the Public Health Agency of Canada supports a wide range of actions related to the prevention and control of sexually transmitted infections, which can be considered to be one element of healthy sexual relationships. Further information is available at: http://www.healthycanadians.gc.ca/healthy-living-vie-saine/sexual-sexuelle/index-eng.php.

The agency works collaboratively with provinces and territories to monitor data through its national surveillance network and update guidance and recommendations on prevention, diagnosis, treatment and management of sexually transmitted diseases. More details can be found at: http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/std-mts/index-eng.php. In addition, the Government of Canada's family violence initiative and the children's programs administered through funding from the Public Health Agency of Canada contribute to resilience, positive parenting and healthy relationships.

The level of precision to answer (b) is not available from agency financial systems.

Parts (c) to (h), the primary responsibility to organize and ensure the delivery of health services to Canadians, including sexual and reproductive health services, belongs to the provinces and territories. The provinces and territories are also responsible to ensure that these services are reasonably accessible to their residents.

[Health, June 16th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, our Conservative government is going to continue to stop kids from smoking marijuana, because we know it has very serious and lasting health effects for youth. In fact, the former president of the Canadian Medical Association was clear when he said, “The health risks of smoking marijuana for youth are irrefutable”. He said that marijuana is dangerous for kids. It leads to increased risks of mental health issues, including psychosis and schizophrenia.

While the Liberal leader and the New Democrats support making marijuana use an everyday normal activity and having it available in storefronts like Starbucks, our government will continue to protect young people from marijuana.

[Health, June 11th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, I will continue to remind Canadians that there is a process. Medical treatments need to meet very strict Health Canada requirements so that patients can be assured that they are safe and effective. That means clinical trials, that means scientific evidence, that means safety reviews, and that means a regulatory process through Health Canada.

This is not what happened today. It is not what happened 10 years ago. Unfortunately, judges think they can make decisions where medical experts should be making the decisions.

[Health, June 11th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, marijuana is not an approved drug or medicine in Canada. It is not approved by Health Canada to be used as a medicine or treatment.

What happened today is what happened 10 years ago. The judges have decided to displace Health Canada as the health regulator and decide that a drug is a medicine. That is unfortunate.

We will continue to remind Canadians that there are very serious health risks with marijuana, particularly for youth. The evidence for youth is irrefutable. That is clear. It can result in very serious mental health issues, like psychosis and schizophrenia.

[Health, June 11th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, we have been clear that we will not tolerate any drug safety risks, and Health Canada does have a process in place to ensure that any importation of drug ingredients or drug products goes through a process to ensure the safety and effectiveness of drugs sold. Where our inspectors are unable to be, we use inspectors such as the FDA.

[Health, June 11th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, the member knows that is not true. Whenever there has been factual evidence in front of us, we have acted and we have ensured that any products or drugs are not allowed into Canada if there are any safety risks.

In terms of ingredients, Health Canada is now beginning to work further to strengthen the screening of drug ingredients.

Let us remember that, in terms of actual drug products that come into the market, all drugs are reviewed for sale to ensure safety. There are also drug safety reviews that are posted online proactively and that can be seen transparently. There are also drug safety inspection summaries posted online transparently.

[Health, June 10th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, I was very pleased to announce the launch of Dementia Friends Canada with the Canadian Alzheimer Society. This is going to improve awareness and understanding for those who are living with dementia in Canada, and it builds on our government's work to create a national strategy with provinces as well as to find a cure for dementia by 2025.

I invite all colleagues on all sides of the House to please join myself and you, Mr. Speaker, in the Speaker's lounge to become a Dementia Friend. We have a selfie booth set up. It takes 30 seconds to sign up. We are trying to sign up one million Canadians to become Dementia Friends to show those who are suffering with dementia and their caregivers that we support them.

[Health, June 9th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, I have repeatedly said to Canadians and to my provincial counterparts that they are getting ripped off when it comes to the cost of drugs.

They negotiate their plans separately instead of together, and I continuously encourage them to get together and invite us to the table to look at a national drug purchasing plan, including, and foremost, to talk about bulk purchasing.

We can save Canadians billions of dollars if we do this together, and I am at the table with them.

[Questions on the Order Paper, June 5th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, part (a) of this question cannot be answered definitively. There are currently 8121 marketed human prescription drugs by drug identification number, DIN, as of April 30, 2015. This number includes both innovative and generic drugs. Many of these various drugs, vaccines and prescription medications were authorized decades ago using a paper-based system. As such, Health Canada databases do not capture detailed information on the evidence used to approve the drugs. A fact sheet on how drugs are reviewed is available at: www.hc-sc.gc.ca/dhp-mps/prodpharma/activit/fs-fi/reviewfs_examenfd-eng.php.

With regard to (b), the defined scope for this response was all submissions that received a notice of compliance, NOC, in calendar year 2014 that met the criteria for the summary basis of decision, SBD. Please see: www.hc-sc.gc.ca/dhp-mps/prodpharma/sbd-smd/index-eng.php. This includes all new active substances, all priority-new active substances and all subsequent entry biologics that received an NOC in 2014. A total of 27 submissions were within the scope for calendar year 2014. Of these 27 submissions, 63% contained double-blind clinical studies to support efficacy. Submissions that fall outside the scope of the summary basis of decision project are difficult to search by clinical study due to database and IT limitations.

[Health, June 4th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, what we are talking about is an exemption for illegal street heroin to be injected in a site. Therefore, we have put forward legislation that will be moving through the Senate very shortly to ensure that neighbourhoods, where the mayor of Montreal might like to put a heroin injection site, actually have a say on whether they want a heroin injection site. It is an illegal drug. In addition, I want to know from the mayor of Montreal what kind of drug prevention and drug treatment services he has available for those who are addicted.