Pharmacare Town Hall Wednesday!

Of all the countries that provides citizens with Universal Health Care, did you know Canada is the only country that doesn’t also have Universal Pharmacare?

In 2014, Dr. Eric Hoskins ~ Ontario’s Liberal Minister of Health and Long-Term Care ~ wrote an OpEd for the Globe and Mail explaining Why Canada needs a national pharmacare program

It has been estimated that Universal public drug coverage would:

  • reduce total spending on prescription drugs in Canada by $7.3 billion
  • save the Private Sector $8.2 billion
  • increase costs to government $1.0 billion

A Mowat Centre study published by  in in 2015 goes even further:

“Overall, it estimates a universal pharmacare plan would save up to $11.4 billion a year, with $1 billion of that saved just by no longer duplicating administrative costs in the current “patchwork” system.”

However, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s federal Liberal Government have more important things to worry about than the health of its citizens, so the Ontario Liberals Government has stepped up to the plate with an intention to add publicly funded pharmacare coverage for children and youth ~ adding to the patchwork system.

“Because Ontario is adding universal, comprehensive pharmacare coverage to the age group that uses medicines least often. Many working-age Ontarians, who are far more likely to require medicines than children, will still be uninsured.”

Why a universal pharmacare plan makes sense — now

Town Hall Meeting

This Wednesday, June 28th, the new KW Chapter of the Council of Canadians is hosting a Pharmacare Town Hall Meeting from 7 – 9pm at First United Church in Waterloo (map).  Kitchener Centre MP Raj Saini (a pharmacist before going into politics) will be representing the Liberal Party,  Kitchener-Waterloo MPP Catherine Fife will be representing the NDP, and our own Stacey Danckert will be there speaking for the Greens.

With a provincial election in the offing, this should be a lively event.  We hope to see you there!

Sign The Petition

Until July 13th you can sign Steve Morgan’s ePetition E-959 (HEALTH CARE SERVICES)

which calls upon the Government of Canada to:

1. Implement through a Federal law, a Pan-Canadian Universal Pharmacare Plan, in this 42nd Parliament; and
2. Implement a National Formulary for medically necessary drugs including a drug monitoring agency providing regulations and oversight to protect Canadians.
Even though the Trudeau government has demonstrated its unwillingness to do what Canadians ask in such petitions, it doesn’t hurt to try.

For more information download the PDFs of the Pharmacare studies:

CMAJ:  Estimated cost of universal public coverage of prescription drugs in Canada

Mowat Centre: Unfilled Prescriptions: the Drug Coverage Gap in Canada’s Health Care Systems



Postscript

I’ve just learned Kitchener—Centre Liberal MP Raj Saini has backed out.

Dr. Sherilyn Houle (UW School of Pharmacy) will also be joining the panel.

Divest Waterloo presents Gordon Laxer at the KPL

WRGreen folk may be interested in Divest Waterloo‘s presentation:
Gordon Laxer: After the Sands: Energy and Ecological Security for Canadians
Wednesday April 6th, 2016
@ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm
at the Kitchener Public Library ~ 85 Queen St N, Kitchener, ON, Canada N2H 2H1

KWPeace writes:

Gordon Laxer
is coming to KW to give a public lecture on his new book, After the Sands: Energy and Ecological Security for Canadians.

Impeccably researched, After the Sands is critical reading for anyone concerned about rising sea levels, pipeline and tanker spills, climate change chaos and Canada’s future in a carbon restricted world.

Ralph Nader hails it as “a myth-destroying blockbuster book.”

The talk will be followed by responses from the community to relate Laxer’s work to local struggles and opportunities.

Where: Kitchener Public Library, Central Library Theatre, 85 Queen Street North, downtown Kitchener [Map]
When: Wednesday, April 6th, 7:00–8:30pm (note that community groups will have information tables outside the theatre starting at 6:30)

The event is free and open to the public—everyone is welcome!

Please register here: afterthesands.ticketfi.com

This event is hosted by the Department of Political Science with support from numerous campus and community groups including the Kitchener Public Library, the Waterloo Aboriginal Education Centre, the School of Environment, Resources and Sustainability, the Balsillie School of International Affairs, Sustainable Campus Initiative, Waterloo Political Economy Group (WatPEG), Waterloo Public Interest Research Group (WPIRG),ClimateActionWR, the Council of Canadians (Guelph and Centre Wellington Chapters), Divest Waterloo, and KAIROS. Wordsworth Books and Hacienda Coffee folks will be on hand with books for sale and treats to share!

BREAKING: Gordon Laxer was just named as a finalist for the John W. Dafoe Book Prize for non-fiction stories on Canada.

NASA: Athabasca tar sands environmental impact 1984 vs 2011
NASA: Athabasca tar sands environmental impact 1984 vs 2011 (Public Domain image)