Health committee  You're correct that there is, if I can use the phrase, a bit of a term of art within the insurance policy business. “First dollar” means that as soon as an insurable event occurs—in this case, having a prescription filled—the insurance would apply: That is, the coverage would apply before any other payments.

Health committee  I can't tell you that, but I'm happy to speak a little bit more about any questions that you have around the data and the time it takes in Canada—

Health committee  What I can say is that there are a couple of different pathways for drugs to be approved in Canada through our health products and food branch. There is a faster pathway that is about 180 days, and on average, with the ones that do not proceed via that pathway, it's approximately 300 days.

Health committee  Sir, I'm not disputing it. I think you were perhaps speaking about the pathway as a whole, between launch and patient access, or access to a prescription. I was speaking about your latter comment, which is the amount of time it takes for approval of a new drug submission, for example, by Health Canada.

Health committee  No. I'm sorry. I'm not. I could ask my colleague if he is, if you'd like.

Health committee  No, I think what I would say is.... I would refer back to my earlier comments that we do have different pathways for Health Canada to approve the product.

Health committee  I referred earlier to the 300 days, and that in fact is fairly close to what happens in the U.S. and quite close to what happens in the EU.

Health committee  I'm sorry, Mr. Chair. I don't know that I can add anything further to my previous answers.

Health committee  You are, I guess, looking at some data that I don't have in front of me, so I can't comment on that, but I would like to come back for a moment and speak about the Canadian drug agency and clarify for the committee that the legislation does not set out the CDA and does not propose a particular mandate or establish the CDA.

Health committee  Thank you for your question. Mr. Chair, I wouldn't be able to add anything further.