Official Hansard
Mr. Speaker, before I address Bill C‑265, I would like to take a few moments to highlight a major milestone for my region: the 50th anniversary of Culture Bas-Saint-Laurent. I would have liked to be there with its members to celebrate the anniversary in person, but I wanted their contribution to be recognized here in the House of Commons. The 50th anniversary of Culture Bas-Saint-Laurent is an essential reminder of what sets us apart as a region. Let us not forget that Culture Bas-Saint-Laurent grew out of the very first cultural council in Quebec. For 50 years, the organization has been opening doors, bringing the cultural community together and contributing to raising the Lower St. Lawrence region's profile. I want to commend all the people who have kept the organization going all these years: the artists, the cultural workers, the partner organizations, the volunteers and everyone who believes in the power of culture to boost our communities. As the member for Rimouski—La Matapédia, a riding that includes La Mitis, Les Basques and La Neigette, I want to acknowledge the enormous contribution that Culture Bas-Saint-Laurent has made to our region. I wish Culture Bas-Saint-Laurent a very happy 50th anniversary and many more years of success. Many happy returns. I will now continue with the topic at hand today, Bill C‑265. The Bloc Québécois has done its job since the official first reading of this bill in the House on March 11. We have taken the time to carefully analyze all of the proposed amendments to the Food and Drugs Act with a view to creating a list of pre-approved therapeutic products under Health Canada's special access program. Let me be clear from the outset: The Bloc Québécois will be supporting this bill at second reading. The idea behind this bill is simple. It will enable certain seriously ill patients to access treatments more quickly when standard options have been exhausted. It addresses a reality that many of us have witnessed in our ridings: patients with serious or life-threatening illnesses who have exhausted all therapeutic options and wish to access a promising treatment that is sometimes already available elsewhere in the world. In those situations, every day counts. Every administrative delay becomes an additional burden for people who are fighting for their lives. We understand the legitimate desire to have access to alternative treatments when all else has failed. No one wants a patient to be denied a treatment option simply because administrative procedures move more slowly than their disease is progressing. I think many of my colleagues will relate to what I am about to say. At one time or another, we have all received a call or an email from a family desperately seeking a solution for a loved one who is seriously ill. Behind these requests are people who are almost out of options and who are still hoping for one more chance. The special access program was created for just this kind of situation. It is intended to provide access to certain treatments when conventional options are no longer sufficient and the patient's condition requires it. When we look at the path leading to the approval of a new drug, we quickly realize how complex the process is. From research to discovery, through clinical trials, regulatory reviews and approval by Health Canada, before a drug even makes it onto pharmacy shelves, it is clear that the process is like something out of The Twelve Tasks of Asterix. The creation of a list of drugs pre-approved for the special access program could help reduce the time required to process requests, in particular by easing the administrative burden. In principle, this is a step forward that deserves our support. However, the commendable intent aside, we have a duty to examine this bill diligently and judiciously to ensure that this measure is feasible and truly accessible to everyone. Quebec already has its own mechanisms for providing exceptional access to drugs under certain circumstances. This shows that our health care systems are already striving to strike a balance between access to treatment and the responsible management of public resources. That is why it is essential that Quebec be fully involved in any reform affecting access to treatment. First, we have concerns about how Quebec and the provinces have been left out of this process, even though they are the ones responsible for administering health care and, more importantly, managing drug plans. Facilitating access to a drug is one thing. Ensuring that it is truly accessible to members of the public, regardless of their financial situation, is quite another. Without close collaboration with Quebec and the provinces, the government could end up reinforcing inequality when it comes to access to care. Let us not forget that, under the existing special access program, drug prices are set by the manufacturer, so it is possible that some costs might have to be borne by hospitals, public or private insurers, or even, in some cases, patients or their families. We need to ensure that it is not just the wealthiest patients who are able to access these treatments, while others have to do without. That would go against a fundamental principle of our health care system, which is accessibility. Speeding up access to a drug should not mean sticking the provinces and Quebec, health care institutions or families with the bill. We cannot create a system where there is hope for everyone but where only those who can pay can really benefit from it. Innovation is important, but so is fairness, which is why we want to know whether there are any mechanisms planned to take into account the cost and coverage of these drugs. I would also like to hear what the sponsor of the bill has to say on the matter. Does he believe that the special access program's current mechanisms are sufficient to ensure financial accessibility, or does he think adjustments will need to be made? We agree that certain drugs should be made available more quickly, but certainly not at the expense of Quebec and the provinces, hospitals or even patients. Second, we must consider the delicate balance between rapid access and patient safety. Health Canada must continue to rigorously evaluate drugs before they are distributed. In health care, nothing should ever be used as an excuse to bypass the science. Urgency must never override caution. When a person is vulnerable and their options are limited, our collective responsibility is all the greater. We must offer hope, but not under just any conditions. Furthermore, Canada is already one of the most expensive countries for prescription drugs. There is no magic solution. Improving access to new treatments quickly often comes at a significant cost. We must therefore proceed with caution. We do need to move faster, but without driving up costs or cutting corners on safety. Lastly, a number of questions remain about the conditions for adding drugs to this list. In particular, we wish to hear from experts regarding the criteria for adding a drug to the list, the composition of the advisory committee that will be responsible for making recommendations, the follow-up mechanisms that will ensure patient safety, and ethical considerations regarding access to these new treatments. The Bloc Québécois intends to take all the time that is needed to hear from experts, health care professionals, researchers and all stakeholders at the committee stage. Bill C‑265 is ultimately about patients who are running out of options and searching for one more chance. When someone is seriously ill, hope means a lot. Our role as legislators is to ensure that this hope is based on real, fair access. That is why we support the principle of Bill C‑265. Yes, we need to improve access to innovative treatments when conventional options have been exhausted. Yes, we need to reduce red tape when it becomes an unnecessary barrier. However, we must also ensure that these treatments remain accessible to everyone, regardless of income, and that Quebec and the provinces are fully involved in the process. We must also uphold the highest standards of safety and scientific evaluation because, when it comes to public health, public trust is paramount. We will act openly and diligently, in the belief that better access to treatment must never come at the expense of fairness.
View on ourcommons.ca ↗
