Health committee  The main expense, the $100,000 that we mentioned, is for data from IMS Brogan.

Health committee  It's now called QuintilesIMS, which is one of the stakeholders that is mentioned in the motion. They are basically the only provider of that kind of data across Canada.

Health committee  It's a private firm.

Health committee  That kind of amount, yes. With other organizations, as Carleigh said, such as StatsCan and CIHI and so on, we have some kind of relationship. Some of the data may have to be paid for, but you're not talking about a lot of money.

Health committee  It is, but that's the way it works.

Health committee  Thank you for the question. The $100,000 is only for the data. It's not the total cost of the project for this committee. It doesn't include the two full-time equivalents that will be absorbed in the normal operations of the office. It doesn't include any overtime and so on. The $100,000, just to be clear, is to buy the data and the information that will be required to conduct that project.

Health committee  Of course, it could go to $1 million. It will not go to $1 million, but as I said, it's going to be over $100,000, which is a threshold that I cannot sign for, so I will need special authorization if we go there to sign a contract of that sort.

Health committee  I don't know. That's why when I was asked the question about six months.... Essentially, you have all these different factors that will have to be considered. When the Library of Parliament—and we are the PBO at the Library of Parliament—submits this request to the two Speakers, we are in their hands.

Health committee  Mostafa will answer.

Health committee  We hope so. It will exceed $100,000. That's the threshold. It's going to be exceeding the $100,000. We know that for now, in terms of the preliminary discussions we've had so far, we hope it's going to be useful for other studies in the future. That's why we have this condition of being the owner of the data for future use for whatever reason.

Health committee  The problem will be to have access to those data and to pay for them. Just to be clear, if I may, Mr. Chair, we are facing two situations. We need to negotiate that contract, which will be over, as I said, $100,000. I'm also negotiating with the Quebec government because, as you know, the model that you proposed to the PBO is the Quebec pharmacare system.

Health committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, deputy chairs, ladies and gentlemen of the committee, thank you for this invitation to appear to report on the work that has been done, at your request, to estimate the cost of creating and administering a national pharmacare program. Preliminary terms of reference have been sent in advance to your committee, and we will be pleased to answer your questions if you need some clarification about the required resources, the timeline, or the methodology.

Health committee  Is your question about what it will cost the PBO?

Health committee  Oh, you mean the study itself.

Health committee  We don't need any more information for the moment. Those are preliminary terms of reference. There's a reason that we mentioned preliminary terms of reference. It's that they may change over time, or we may see our methodology change, or the access to information that is required may not be available.