Ottawa--"The Department of Health ignored the illegal use of mefloquine and the shortcomings of the Safety Monitoring Study when it licensed the drug," said John Cummins, M.P. (Delta-South Richmond)

Cummins today called on the Auditor General to audit the licensing of the anti-malarial drug mefloquine by the Department of Health's Health Protection Branch (HPB).

The drug was illegally administered to Canadian troops bound for Somalia.

DND's use of the drug provided the only opportunity for Canadian doctors to directly observe the drug's possible adverse effects. HPB ought to have shown a keen interest in the findings of DND's participation in the Safety Monitoring Study. Sadly that was not the case.

Even after the problems associated with DND's use of mefloquine became highly publicized, HPB showed little or no interest in the illegal use of the drug or the failure to comply with the Safety Monitoring Study protocol. In fact, HPB has since hired the officer at DND who was responsible for the illegal use of the drug and who refused to comply with the requirements of the Food and Drug Act.