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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• The government continues to work collaboratively with provinces and territories (PTs) to strengthen Medicare and provide funding through transfers and bilateral agreements to improve health care. In addition to the Canada Health Transfer, the Government provided over $19 billion to provinces and territories last fiscal year to help them manage the pandemic, and directly invested another $19 billion in health to support the fight against COVID, including public health support and the purchase of vaccines and tests. This is in addition to targeted funding provided to the PTs to support specific health care priorities, such as home care, mental health, substance use, long term care and virtual care.
• As part of its new mandate, the government has committed to providing PTs with additional pandemic support including for immunization and therapeutics, as well as support for primary care, virtual care, long-term care, palliative care, mental health, and problematic substance use.
• The ongoing management of the COVID-19 pandemic has led to impacts on the health care system, such as the cancellation of elective surgeries. There are also concerns about the health care system’s capacity to cope with the current wave of the virus.
• The Government of Canada recognizes that primary care plays a critical role in the delivery of health care services for Canadians and is the backbone to high-performing health care systems.
• The Government of Canada is committed to improving access to high-quality primary care and continues to work with provinces and territories in this regard.
• Health Canada funds research that could inform future changes to blood donation policies. This funding supports blood operators to generate the scientific data required to support a submission to Health Canada for regulatory authorization.
• Many Canadians rely on plasma to treat life-threatening conditions. During the COVID-19 crisis, global demand, prices, and shortages have increased. The federal government recognizes that increasing domestic plasma sufficiency will help to provide security of supply. Budget 2021 funding will allow Canadian Blood Services to construct and start-up six plasma collection sites across the country by 2024
• Currently, women, youth, LGBTQ2 people, racialized Canadians, and Indigenous populations face the highest sexual and reproductive health risks and the greatest barriers to accessing support, information, and services. Too often, they do not receive the same quality of care, particularly if they are from marginalized communities.
• Rare diseases are often chronic, can be seriously debilitating and potentially life-threatening. With few or no treatment options, available treatments can command high prices, which pose significant challenges to patients, caregivers, and the health care system, including the sustainability of public and private drug plans that pay for these drugs.
• Nearly 75% of rare diseases present from early in utero to late childhood, and nearly 95% of the rare diseases affecting children are currently without treatment. It is estimated that one in 15 children are born with a rare disease, and many of these children die before their first birthday: rare diseases account for 30-40% of neonatal deaths in Canada. One in four pediatric hospital beds are currently being occupied by a child with a rare disease.
• The government is committed to creating a new Canadian Drug Agency (CDA, the Agency). The Canadian Drug Agency Transition Office (CDATO) is engaging provinces, territories, and stakeholders to develop options for the mandate and functions of the new agency. The CDATO also supports work on other pharmacare-related initiatives (e.g., national formulary, drugs for rare diseases strategy).
• The Government has committed to implement national pharmacare, including a Canadian Drug Agency, a national formulary, a national strategy for drugs for rare diseases, and a Canada Pharmacare bill.
• The brand-name pharmaceutical industry has expressed concerns that the regulatory amendments could result in reduced pharmaceutical investments and reduced access to medicines. They have also filed legal proceedings. To date, the Federal Court ruled to maintain most of the Amendments, but struck down the collection of confidential rebate information. This ruling is currently the subject of an appeal by the applicants and cross-appeal by the Crown. In a separate challenge, the Court of Appeal of Québec found that the three new price regulatory factors and collection of confidential rebate information to be invalid. Neither party has decided to seek leave to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court of Canada, therefore those provisions would be of no force or effect in Québec.