Question Period Notes
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In accordance with the Access to Information Act, the government proactively publishes the package of question period notes that were prepared by a government institution for the minister and that were in use on the last sitting day in June and December.
The question period notes may be partially or fully redacted in accordance with the legislation; for example, if the notes contain information related to national security or personal information. (Learn more about exemptions and exclusions.)
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• On August 4th, 2021, the Federal Government announced that it will begin consulting on specific provisions of the Pest Control Products Act (PCPA) to consider ways to balance how pesticide review processes are initiated in Canada and increase transparency.
• In addition, the Federal Government announced a $50 million investment in Health Canada's Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC)'s pest management research, to be supported by Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC).
• This includes $42 million over three years to be invested in the PMRA to further strengthen its oversight and protection of human health and the environment. This includes improving the availability of independent data to further support pesticide review decisions, and the transparency of decision-making. A further $7 million will be invested to AAFC, and $1 million to ECCC in supporting work, to accelerate the research, development and adoption of alternative pest management solutions.
• In the interest of seeking Canadians’ views and input on the humaneness of pesticides used to control predators, Health Canada published a consultation document entitled Humane Vertebrate Pest Control on December 20, 2018 for a 120-day consultation period ending April 18, 2019.
• Health Canada received over 4000 responses, many of which revealed a lack of awareness of federal and provincial roles and responsibilities with respect to pesticide regulation, wildlife management and animal welfare, and the high degree of restriction placed on the use of these products.
• On January 29, 2021, Health Canada published a consultation summary outlining the comments received, as well as an information note to better inform Canadians on the strict label conditions that must be followed, as well as the federal/provincial/territorial roles and responsibilities regarding pesticide regulation, wildlife management and animal welfare.
• Pesticides are stringently regulated in Canada to ensure they pose minimal risk to human health and the environment. As part of the assessment process before a pesticide can be used on a food product, Health Canada scientists determine whether the pesticide residues that may be found in or on food will be a concern to human health, and determine the safe levels of residues, called Maximum Residue Limits, or MRLs.
• Health Canada sets science-based MRLs to ensure the food Canadians eat is safe. The MRLs for each pesticide-crop combination are set at levels well below the amount that could pose a health concern. If it is determined that a risk exists, the product will not be permitted for sale or use in Canada.
• During the summer of 2021, Health Canada received extensive comments during consultations for proposed changes to MRLs, in particular for proposals to raise the MRL for glyphosate on certain crops.
• The Pest Control Products Act (2002) provides robust protection of human health and the environment. However, some provisions of the Act now warrant review to ensure the pesticide approval process meets the expectations of Canadians in the area of transparency and sustainability. As part of targeted reviews of the Pest Control Products Act announced on August 4, 2021, Health Canada is pausing decisions on increases to MRLs until at least spring 2022. The announcement of August 4, 2021, also included funding that will allow the creation of a new expert panel process to provide advice, as appropriate, prior to evidence-based decisions on pesticides, including on MRLs.
• On May 19, 2021, Health Canada released the final re-evaluation decision for the neonicotinoid pesticide, imidacloprid. This followed the recent special review decisions related to aquatic organisms for two neonicotinoid pesticides, clothianidin and thiamethoxam, released by Health Canada on March 31, 2021. Previously, Health Canada had consulted publicly on a proposal to cancel all outdoor uses of these pesticides.
• Over 47,000 comments were received, as well as a substantial amount of new information, including new studies and water monitoring data. In order to protect the environment, in this final decision, Health Canada cancelled some uses of imidacloprid, and introduced additional mitigation measures and restrictions on some of the uses that remain registered, which is consistent with the recent Special Review decisions for clothianidin and thiamethoxam.
• The Interim Order Respecting Drug Shortages (Safeguarding the Drug Supply) was made on November 27, 2020. This interim order introduced new measures to help prevent bulk importation programs, such as the one established by the U.S., from causing or exacerbating a drug shortage in Canada.
• These provisions were made permanent through the Regulations Amending Certain Regulations Concerning Drugs and Medical Devices (Shortages) and came into force upon the expiry of the interim order on November 27, 2021.
• COVID-19 created an increased demand for drugs used in supporting patients with the disease, against the backdrop of multiple global supply chain challenges. Drug shortages, particularly in the context of COVID-19 critical drugs, could put the health of Canadians at risk.
• Working with provinces, territories and other partners, Health Canada established a COVID-19 Critical Drug Reserve, which consists of up to a six-month supply of drugs used to support patients with COVID-19.
• Drug shortages pose a risk to the health of Canadians. The COVID-19 pandemic further exposed vulnerabilities in the drug supply chain that impacted supplies of drugs required to treat patients with COVID-19 and other health conditions.
• The need for vigilance in maintaining the national drug supply continues. Health Canada is continuing its surveillance activities and engagement with key supply chain players to mitigate impacts, and move towards prevention of, drug shortages where possible.
• The Janssen vaccines received on April 28 and intended for use in Canada contained an ingredient that was manufactured at the Emergent site in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. On June 11, 2021, Health Canada issued a statement to communicate that it concluded its assessment of the quality of the Janssen vaccines shipped to Canada and that due to remaining uncertainties respecting their quality, it would not be releasing the vaccines. In addition, Health Canada communicated that it would not accept any product or ingredients made at this site until it could conduct an inspection and is satisfied with the site’s Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) status.
• In New Brunswick (NB), Regulation 84-20 of the NB Medical Services Payment Act limits coverage of surgical abortion services to approved hospitals (three NB hospitals currently offer the service – two in Moncton and one in Bathurst). This means that individuals who receive these services at Clinic 554 in Fredericton are required to pay out-of-pocket. Patient charges for abortion services received in private clinics are considered user charges under the Canada Health Act. This regulation also poses concerns under the comprehensiveness and accessibility criteria of the Canada Health Act. Evidence indicates that some abortion clinics in Ontario (ON) are also charging patients to access insured services.
• Overview of federal action on key Canada Health Act compliance issues.