Health Coalition takes pharmacare message to Ottawa
Health Coalition member groups and allies took their message for universal pharmacare to Parliament Hill on Monday. Their national press conference received widespread media attention and was carried live on cable television.
Jason MacLean, Chairperson of the Canadian Health Coalition, addresses a national media conference, along with (from left) Angela Preocanin, Secretary Treasurer of the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions, Siobhán Vipond, Executive Vice-President of the Canadian Labour Congress, Olivier Surprenant, Analyste en politiques publiques de l’Union des consommateurs, Frédérique Chabot, Acting Executive Director of Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights, Manuel Arango, Vice President, Policy & Advocacy for Heart & Stroke, Anne Lagacé Dowson, Media Director of the Canadian Health Coalition. (Photo: Adella Khan)
What follows are the remarks by Jason MacLean, Canadian Health Coalition Chairperson, delivered to the national media in the National Press Gallery conference room on Parliament Hill, September 22, 2025:
Good morning, friends, colleagues, and fellow Canadians.
My name is Jason MacLean, Secretary-Treasurer of the National Union of Public and General Employees, and Chair of the Canadian Health Coalition. Thank you, Anne, and thank you to my colleagues for standing shoulder to shoulder in this moment. We are standing up for patients and for all Canadians who value our public health care system.
Since the Pharmacare Act passed less than a year ago, we have seen this federal government send mixed messages on this critical program. Yes, four agreements have been signed, but new negotiations have stalled, and no new funding has been put on the table. Mixed messages only create confusion and mistrust. Canadians deserve clarity on what’s being negotiated and what it means for them.
This full-page ad appeared in the influential Hill Times to reach MPs, Senators, public servants and many more.
Last week, during the Liberal Caucus in Edmonton, Prime Minister Carney said clearly that new agreements will be signed. Those were welcome words. But words are not enough. Canadians need action, and they need funding in the upcoming federal budget.
The federal government must respect the Pharmacare Act—the very law it created. And get deals with the Provinces, but they must be consistent, and they must be fair.
People need to know what they’re getting: universal coverage for diabetes medications, contraceptives, and birth control. ……And let’s be clear: universal means for everyone. Single-payer means public coverage that does not depend on private insurance. It means patients have a real choice.
This is why governments cannot cave to corporate pressure. Drug and insurance companies have been bad actors in this debate—putting profits ahead of people. Government cannot let their pursuit of profit undermine the promise of public health care.
We also need the federal government to commit to the full timelines and mandates of the Pharmacare Act, beyond simply signing agreements with the remaining provinces and territories. …That means engaging with the work of the expert panel,…. creating a national formulary,…. establishing a bulk purchasing strategy,…. and developing a national strategy for appropriate use of medicines. These are essential steps toward true universal pharmacare, and we will be watching closely to ensure that every benchmark and obligation in the Act is met.
The evidence is already clear: Canadians overwhelmingly believe in pharmacare…with polling commissioned by the Canadian Health Coalition, it shows that 87% support it. Across the political spectrum, Canadians understand the importance of this program.
And to the provinces and territories still holding out: respect your citizens and join this program. Health care is not something to play politics with.
No one here is satisfied with only diabetes medications and contraceptives being covered, but this is an important first step toward true pharmacare……. And one principle is non-negotiable: pharmacare must remain a single-payer program with no out-of-pocket costs for patients. That’s what the law requires, and that’s what Canadians expect.
This is about choices. Governments say there will be a large deficit in the next budget. But Canadians want pharmacare funded…. They do not want billions more poured into military spending while urgent health care needs go unmet. The right choice is to invest in Canadians’ health.
Canadians deeply value our public health care system. It is part of who we are, and it is a source of national pride. Today, advocates from across the country—representing millions of Canadians—stand united with one clear message: keep your promises. Do not back down. Deliver pharmacare—for everyone, in every province and territory.
Thank you.
Watch the recording on CPAC
(Article cover photo by John Major)
