Health committee  On that, as I said, and as the minister said, the Mental Health Commission has done very good work. Their mandate runs for a little bit of time yet. They put in a proposal for an early renewal and funding. We are working with them and we are looking at the proposal. I think it ju

Health committee  All right.

Health committee  Again, thank you very much for the question. We will be putting in place a regulation and a framework to define the reporting of adverse drug reactions. We will have to, and want to, engage in discussions with provinces, local hospital authorities, and other institutions that we

Health committee  Thank you very much for the question. The proposed legislation that is before you for consideration would essentially create two separate exemption regimes: one for licit substances, which are defined as substances obtained in a manner authorized by the Controlled Drugs and Subs

Health committee  Yes, there are actually some studies under way. Maybe I'll go back and use the example that Ms. Davies referred to. My understanding is that the U.S. has six clinical studies under way right now looking at a derivative product that is being tested for safety and efficacy for jus

Health committee  Again, I would say that really is a landmark tripartite agreement that has seen the responsibility for design and delivery of programs and services that previously came from Health Canada now being turned over to a newly created First Nations Health Authority. That authority has

Health committee  Thank you for your question. The government launched a very good campaign to reduce the number of smokers here, in Canada. When you look at the results, today we have among the lowest smoking rates in this country that we've ever had, both among youth and among adults. They're

Health committee  I will repeat the same answer and say that we have made a lot of progress in this area. Right now smoking rates among Canadians are down to 16%. Smoking rates among young people are down to 7%. Both are record lows, and I think they show the effectiveness of the work that has be

Health committee  Thank you very much. As the minister indicated, the panel is now out in full force in its consultation process. There are several different avenues under way. As the minister mentioned, there is an open, online consultation available to any Canadian who wants to offer ideas to t

Health committee  Actually both points are correct. The current mandate does run longer and you're correct that they have come in with a proposal for an earlier renewal of their mandate, a proposal both for funding and the mandate. We're working with them on that. Their mandate doesn't end in 2015

Health committee  I don't think there is a response. As you've just noted, we are working with the CMA, and, through them, the colleges, on Choosing Wisely, which is intended to put into the hands of physicians more information and education on prescribing practices.

Health committee  Yes.

Health committee  This probably would be with Health Canada, as the regulator. I'm not familiar with the issue you've raised. Perhaps, though, we can get back to you separately or through a letter to the committee.

Health committee  My expectation is that the minister will be making an announcement around that very topic in the near future.

Health committee  In my experience, not all provinces want direction and guidance, but the main mechanism is as the minister noted—the regular meetings that she has with all of the provincial health ministers. They identify areas of common concern, areas where they can work together. Prescription