The House of Commons’ standing committee on health is recommending the creation of a universal, single public payer prescription drug coverage program for all Canadians. “The committee believes that the best approach for the creation of such a program is through the expansion of the Canada Health Act to include prescription drugs dispensed outside of hospitals as an insured service,” […]
Ontario’s New Democratic leader unveiled parts of her platform at a campaign event on Saturday, saying the party will offer universal pharmacare and dental care for all Ontarians if elected. The party’s five policy points — which also include lowering wait times for health-care services, raising taxes on corporations and the wealthiest Ontarians and converting […]
The 2018 budget has confirmed the federal government is creating an advisory council on the implementation of a national pharmacare program. Marc-André Gagnon, associate professor at Carleton University’s School of Public Policy and Administration, believes the budget’s wording around implementation, rather than consultation, marks a real commitment to moving forward on this issue. “The advisory council is really […]
Expand the Canada Pension Plan replacement rate to 50 per cent of earnings. Cap annual contributions to registered retirement savings plans at $22,000. Establish a public agency to administer terminated pension plans. Create a single-payer pharmacare plan for all of Canada. These are just a few of the suggestions put forth by the Canadian Centre for Policy […]
Since Ontario rolled out its new pharmacare program for youth on Jan. 1, multiple media reports have detailed the challenges faced by some people in transitioning to public drug coverage from their private plan. The examples include a mother who, according to the Brantford Expositor, found that while the provincial program doesn’t cover Fluoxetine, a medication for her child’s obsessive-compulsive disorder, […]
Universal pharmacare is an “overly simplistic” solution that risks cutting access to drugs, says a senior executive at one of Canada’s largest pharmaceutical companies. “It sounds like a lovely solution,” Julia Brown, vice-president of government affairs and market access at Janssen Inc., told the audience at Benefits Canada’s 2017 Face-to-Face Drug Plan Management Forum. But […]
After having a chance to digest the parliamentary budget officer’s report projecting that a universal pharmacare program could represent $4.2 billion in savings for Canada, some believe it’s time to end the debate and take action. Elizabeth Kwan, a senior researcher at the Canadian Labour Congress, certainly believes so. “We need an all-out, all-Canadian effort to put […]
A universal pharmacare program could represent savings of $4.2 billion, according to a new report published by the parliamentary budget officer. The report, which followed a request by the House of Commons’ standing committee on health, estimated the level of savings that would result from a national program covering drugs included on Quebec’s public formulary. Of […]
The conversation around the need for a national pharmacare program is picking up as the Canadian Labour Congress prepares to launch a campaign this fall. “Our campaign is going to be to put pressure on the federal government to commit to start working with the provinces. And we’re hoping that they will come at the appropriate […]
In Canada, about half of prescription drug costs are privately funded. As drug costs rise between eight and 10 per cent each year, governments are feeling the pressure to provide some relief to private payers. Ontario is responding with the introduction of a new program that will provide prescription drug coverage for all Ontarians under […]