Veterans Affairs committee  Yes, do it by asking them. Absolutely.

Veterans Affairs committee  Again Dr. Nevin has written papers on the screening, and it's really quite simple: Have you been exposed to this medication, and did you have this reaction to it? It's as simple as that in terms of understanding. Now we're identifying those who had that prodromal reaction—which is to say the symptoms that appeared when they were on the medication—which then sets them at risk of having persistent reactions.

Veterans Affairs committee  I think you're doing it right now. I think paying attention to the issue is an important thing. We need to get the information out to veterans. We need to get the information out to those clinicians who work with Veterans Affairs and communicate that way. If you look at veterans affairs in the United States, the VA, they do a pretty good job of communicating constantly with the clinicians who work with Veterans Health Administration.

Veterans Affairs committee  To the best of my knowledge, we don't. No.

Veterans Affairs committee  Yes. Dr. Nevin suggests that Somalia forward is the era he's looking at, at least with respect to American veterans. I'm not sure if that would apply directly to Canada or not, but it sounds about right. If we started from 1990 forward...? Honestly, I don't know when the drug was released.

Veterans Affairs committee  Yes, I am. Dr. Nevin who will be coming, I believe on May 1, will be able to speak to that, but some of the research that I can recall showed something like close to 180% more diagnosis of PTSD in those who were mefloquine-exposed with a prodromal reaction.

Veterans Affairs committee  Certainly.

Veterans Affairs committee  You can follow up with Dr. Nevin, as well.

Veterans Affairs committee  Since it's a Canadian question, I guess I'll take it. Number one, how many soldiers have been exposed? They spoke about the issue of clinical records in clinical practice being purged. It's routine in the military that I learn of people whose medical records are missing or inadequate.

Veterans Affairs committee  Right.

Veterans Affairs committee  Yes.

Veterans Affairs committee  I think it's a very significant issue and I think it has a relatively simple solution, which is to reach out to veterans and simply ask them if they have had an anti-malarial drug in the past. Was it a weekly dosage one? That would tend to lean it towards having been mefloquine.

Veterans Affairs committee  I know that in this area, there's been a lot of talk about the concept that this is misdiagnosed. To be honest, I'm not completely convinced of that because, as I said, mefloquine is often used in a context in which there are exposures to traumas. We look at the diagnosis of PTSD.

Veterans Affairs committee  I know I'm aware of it. I believe that both Australia and the U.K. have identified mefloquine quite positively as a significant risk factor for neuropsychiatric disorders. I would tend to agree that the research is in its infancy, as I said. Clearly more needs to be done, but I think if we listen to the veterans and the stories that they're telling us, what we learn is that there is this very significant reaction.

Veterans Affairs committee  Exactly.