NATIONAL PHARMACEUTICAL STRATEGY:

Where’s the Federal Government?

(Ottawa) - The Canadian Health Coalition today welcomed the Progress Report on the National Pharmaceutical Strategy (NPS). The Strategy to improve pharmaceutical management will lead to more equitable access, better health outcomes and better value for money spent on drug therapy.

“The Strategy is excellent but implementation of a key element appears to be stalled due to lack of federal commitment to finance expanded drug coverage. Canadians deserve an actual plan for universal public drug insurance not just further policy discussion. It is morally and politically unacceptable for access to drug coverage to depend on where you live or work. Ottawa is not playing the leadership role required for a national strategy to be fully implemented. In fact, the Harper Government appears to be in retreat from the health care field altogether,” said Kathleen Connors, CHC Chairperson.

While federal pharmaceutical policy drives up drug costs, the provinces, territories, employers and ordinary Canadians are left to pay the bills. Currently, the federal government only pays for approximately 2% of drug expenditures.

In addition, federal pharmaceutical policy undermines the NPS because of its focus on economic objectives (wealth creation) instead of health policy (access to safe medicines). Federal pharmaceutical policy creates barriers to access, threatens patient safety and the sustainability of the public health care system.

“Fifty years of waiting for Pharmacare is long enough. Pharmacare makes sense in terms of equity, economic efficiency and improving prescribing – it’s time we mustered the political will power at the federal level and just got on with it,” said Joel Lexchin, MD, of York University’s School of Health Policy and Management.

“We call on the Government of Canada to show leadership and commit to an ongoing partnership with provinces and territories to implement this important Strategy. We can’t maintain a national health system without leadership from the Government of Canada. And there certainly won’t be a national Pharmacare plan without a financial commitment in the federal budget and a pharmaceutical policy that puts health objectives ahead of industry profits,” said Linda Silas, RN, President of the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions.

The Canadian Health Coalition renewed its call today for a national Pharmacare plan to:

  • Replace our patchwork U.S.- style drug insurance plans that drive up spending and leave millions without access
  • Provide universal, first-dollar coverage for cost-effective and safe drugs
  • Pay only for what’s safe and works – save lives, money and competitiveness

The full text of the CHC Pharmacare proposal More for Less is available at: www.healthcoalition.ca/moreforless.pdf

The Canadian Health Coalition is a public advocacy organization dedicated to the preservation and improvement of Medicare. Our membership is comprised of national organizations representing nurses, health care workers, seniors, churches, anti-poverty, women and trade unions as well as affiliated coalitions in 9 provinces and one territory.

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For further information:

Michael McBane (613) 277-6295