Desiree Sam

Enhancing cybersecurity resiliency and standards in the health sector. Improving Canada’s physical and digital infrastructure for both health research and healthcare delivery. Strengthening Canada’s health workforce including through the development of a pan-Canadian health workforce plan. Federal role in the health system as it relates to funding, the use of federal spending power, and pan-Canadian priorities, including in the areas of aging, older adult care, child and youth health, mental health and substance use, palliative care, Indigenous health, public health, and data. Advancing Canada’s health research and innovation agenda as it relates to funding, policy and program design, and regulatory matters, including in the areas of clinical trials and development of innovative medical treatments.

Federal role in the health system as it relates to funding, the use of federal spending power, and pan-Canadian priorities, including in the areas of physical and digital infrastructure, health workforce, immigration, aging, older adult care, child and youth health, mental health and substance use, palliative care, cybersecurity, Indigenous health, environment, and data. Advancing Canada’s health research and innovation agenda as it relates to funding, policy and program design, and regulatory matters, including in the areas of clinical trials and development of innovative medical treatments.

Support for community water fluoridation. SMALL BUSINESSES: Supports and opportunities to help small businesses including dental hygiene practice owners. SENIORS: Ensuring that all vulnerable seniors (including those living independently in their communities and those living in long-term care homes) have access to necessary and appropriate oral health care to age in wellness and with dignity. RADIATION PROTECTION: Radiation protection practices to support the safe use of radiation emitting devices in Canada, including dental x-ray equipment (radiation safety procedures, equipment performance, and radiation protection) Promote maintenance of existing tax exemption status for health and dental benefit premiums. OROFACIAL INJURIES IN SPORTS: Prevention of orofacial injury in sports, including by promoting properly fitted sports mouthguards as an essential piece of protective equipment in both practices and games, at the recreational and competitive level. NATIONAL ORAL HEATH RESEARCH STRATEGY: Addressing essential oral health and oral health care-related research questions, facilitate knowledge translation and further knowledge exchange (Canadian Institutes of Health Research). Financial support during the COVID-19 Pandemic to support dental hygienists. Access to PPE for dental hygienists. Federal government to continue to play a leadership role in working with provinces to implement national long-term care and home care guidelines for daily oral health care and regular professional preventive care. Discussion of items in pre-budget submission. DENTAL CARE FOR CANADIANS: Recommendations to support the delivery of the Canada Dental Benefit, Canada Dental Care Plan (Budget 2023), Oral Health Access Fund (Budget 2023), and Investments in Better Dental Care Data (Statistics Canada). Consultation on potential measures to regulate tobacco and cannibis packages and products. CANADIAN HEALTH MEASURES SURVEY: Ongoing collection of information from Canadians about their general health including oral health. POPULATION-LEVEL DATA: Increased collection, analysis and public reporting on national oral health/dental indicators and outcomes. CANADA’S HEALTH CARE WORKFORCE: Addressing Canada’s health workforce crisis, including but not limited to incentives and supports to increase recruitment and retention within the health workforce generally, and to address the rural and remote health workforce specifically. CANADA STUDENT LOAN FORGIVENESS: Expansion of the current list of eligible professionals for student loan forgiveness to help bring more dental hygienists to work in under-served rural and remote communities that lack the primary health care they need. ACCES TO ORAL HEALTH CARE: Improved access to preventive oral health care services for millions of vulnerable people across Canada (emphasis on children, seniors aging in communities and in long-term care, people with disabilities, rural and remote communities, Indigenous communities, low-income households).

Trade and Export Promotion Programs, including the AgriMarketing Program and Global Affairs Canada’s Trade Commissioner Service, with respect to increasing export opportunities for Canadian natural health and wellness products Safe Food for Canadians Regulations –Impact on Organic Product Regulations. Impact on GMO labelling for foods. Impact on small businesses. Regulations affiliated with the Cannabis Act regarding the legalization of cannabis; regulatory amendments related to phytocannabinoids Natural Health Products Regulations – fair and consistent interpretation by the regulator. Plain Language Labeling under the self-care products framework. Personal importation of natural health products. Food Directorate and Canadian Food Inspection Agency – draft guidance on foods/supplemented foods/nutrition facts/food labelling and label modernization. GMO mandated labelling for food. Food & Drug Regulation - ensure appropriate interpretation of regulations. Impact on GMO labelling for food. Amendments to the Food and Drugs Act – Ensure sensible rules for natural health products. Address prohibition on sampling of natural health products directly to the consumer. Implication of Health Canada’s proposed Consumer Health Products Framework. Consideration of the 53 recommendations made in 1998 by the Standing Committee on Health.

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) Innovation Agenda regarding the need for a balanced intellectual property regime and the important role competition plays in encouraging innovation. Provide input into policy discussions with respect to the implementation of a national pharmacare program. Provide input into the Government of Canada's negotiations regarding trade negotiations with respect to pharmaceuticals, counterfeit medicines, and intellectual property. Provide input into the Canada-US trade relationship as it pertains to medicines, including the impact of tariffs on medicines and medicine manufacturing inputs for the Canadian healthcare system, patients and industry. Provide input into the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA). To encourage the Government of Canada to continue to participate in truly international discussions with respect to effective measures to combat substandard and falsified medicines in Canada and around the world. Seeking harmonization of regulatory regimes and administrative processes nationally and internationally. Providing input with respect to the approval pathway for biosimilar medicines by Health Canada. Provide input into the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board (PMPRB) consultations regarding its Policies, Guidelines and Procedures. Provide input into the modernization of the Food and Drugs Act and related Regulations, Guidelines and Policies as they pertain to pharmaceuticals. Proposals to enhance transparency of the Health Canada Reconsiderations Policy for drug submissions. Proposals related to Health Canada's Identical Medicinal Ingredient Policy. Participation in Competition Bureau consultations with respect to pharmaceuticals. Participate in Government of Canada consultations with respect to the Regulatory Cooperation Council. Health Canada with respect to user fees for therapeutic product regulatory programs. Health Canada with respect to the process for the approval and renewal of foreign sites for Drug Establishment License (DEL) holders. Related guidance documents include the Guidance on Evidence to Demonstrate Drug GMP Compliance of Foreign Sites (GUI-0080), the Guidance on Drug Establishment Licences and Drug Establishment Licensing Fees (GUI-0002) and the Guidance on Good Manufacturing Practices for Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (GUI-0104). Health Canada with respect to its Regulatory Systems Review for Therapeutic Products. Health Canada regarding the development of a national pharmacare strategy. Discussions with ISED towards a national strategy for the biomanufacturing and the life sciences sector.

Educating elected officials on the importance of the practice of Urological medicine and screening.

Discussions on updates to the Assisted Human Reproduction Act. Discussion with officials to promote the creation and implementation of a National Fertility Strategy. Discussions around funding through the Sexual and Reproductive Health program.

ADVOCATE FOR IMPROVED AWARENESS, PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT OF WOMEN'S HEART AND BRAIN HEALTH RISK FACTORS THROUGH BILL S-243, AN ACT TO ESTABLISH A NATIONAL FRAMEWORK FOR WOMEN'S HEALTH IN CANADA ADVOCATE FOR A MODERNIZED CHARITABLE TAXATION FRAMEWORK THAT STRENGTHENS CHARITIES AND THEIR ABILITY TO MOBILIZE RESOURCES FOR THE BENEFIT OF CANADIANS. FINALIZE REGULATIONS TO RESTRICT VAPE FLAVOURS (INCLUDING MINT/MENTHOL); INTRODUCE PLAIN AND STANDARDIZED PACKAGING FOR VAPING PRODUCTS; INCREASE TOBACCO AND VAPE TAXES; IMPLEMENT A TOBACCO COST RECOVERY FEE; PROTECT EXISTING NICOTINE POUCH REGULATIONS; BAN INTERNET/ONLINE SALES FOR TOBACCO AND E-CIGARETTES; PROHIBIT THE SALE OF TOBACCO PRODUCTS AMONGST INDIVIDUALS BORN BEFORE A DETERMINED YEAR; INCREASE THE MINIMUM LEGAL AGE OF SALE FOR TOBACCO AND VAPING PRODUCTS TO 21 YEARS OF AGE. SUPPORT POLICIES THAT ELIMINATE FINANCIAL BARRIERS TO SPORT PARTICIPATION FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH, WHILE ENSURING SPORT PARTICIPATION FUNDING IS ROLLED OUT IN AN ACCESSIBLE, EQUITABLE, AND INCLUSIVE MANNER. ADVOCATE FOR GOVERNMENT ACTION TO REDUCE THE CONSUMPTION OF, AND HARMS ASSOCIATED WITH, ULTRA-PROCESSED FOODS. ADVOCATE FOR AND FUND EQUITABLE ACCESS TO PALLIATIVE CARE PROGRAMS FOR CANADIANS, INCLUDING EQUITY-SEEKING GROUPS. INTRODUCTION OF A NATIONAL PHARMACARE PROGRAM IMPLEMENT REGULATIONS TO RESTRICT COMMERCIAL MARKETING OF UNHEALTHY FOODS AND BEVERAGES TO CHILDREN IMPLEMENT A TAX ON SUGARY DRINKS. REVENUES FROM SUCH A TAXATION STREAM SHOULD BE USED TO SUBSIDIZE HEALTHY EATING INITIATIVES FUND PUBLIC AWARENESS FOR IMPROVED USE OF DEFIBRILLATORS AND CPR. ADVOCATE FOR A TAX-EXEMPTION ON THE SALE OF DEFIBRILLATORS. ENSURE THAT THE DEDICATED FEDERAL ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE FUND BECOMES A PERMANENT ENVELOPE IN CANADA'S INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDING.

Canada's Drug Agency policies as it relates to reimbursement recommendation decision-making process and framework Biomanufacturing and Life Sciences Strategy (BLSS) as it relates to the biopharmaceutical industry. Federal policies that relate to possible models of pharmacare Federal Buy Canadian Procurement Policy as it relates to government drug procurement practices and the implications for the biopharmaceutical industry Policies and frameworks to accelerate access to innovative medicines post-Health Canada approval, including efforts to reduce time-to-reimbursement and streamline federal/provincial listing processes Policy measures to ensure security of drug supply in Canada and preserve Canada's attractiveness for biopharmaceutical launches, including in response to foreign pricing regulations National Strategy for Drugs for Rare Diseases World Trade Organization (WTO) issues concerning the agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs) with respect to the protection of data, Access to Medicines, and TRIPs "flexibility" World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) issues concerning the biopharmaceutical industry World Health Organization (WHO) issues concerning the biopharmaceutical industry Scientific Research and Educational Design (SR&ED) Tax Credit in respect of updating the system and increasing the expenditure limit for refundable credits Pharmaceutical pricing policy issues arising from the jurisdiction of the Patented Medicines Prices Review Board (PMPRB) Patented Medicines Regulations as it relates to the regulation and protection of biopharmaceutical products Patented Medicines (Notice of Compliance) Regulations with respect to ensuring that patent rights are respected and are internationally competitive Patented Medicines (Notice of Compliance) Regulations as it relates to the regulation of intellectual property for biopharmaceutical products Patent Act as it relates to reporting requirements and pricing guidelines, and the protection of intellectual property in biopharmaceutical products Income Tax Act as it relates to biopharmaceutical products Health Canada's Regulatory Roadmap for Health Products and Food as it relates to the biopharmaceutical industry Free trade agreements as they relate to the biopharmaceutical industry Food and Drugs Act and Regulations and the Import and Export Permits Act with respect to cross-border trade as it relates to the export of Canadian biopharmaceuticals Food and Drug Regulations as it relates to data protection and the regulation and protection of biopharmaceutical products Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Clinical Research Initiative as it relates to public/private research and development partnerships Annual federal Budgets and Budget updates as it relates to the biopharmaceutical industry