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 Lindsay Handren 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.”
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; and2. Implement a National Formulary for medically necessary drugs including a drug monitoring agency providing regulations and oversight to protect Canadians.
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.