Canadian Health Coalition
  • Donate
  • Menu Canvas
    • CHC Home
    • News
    • About us
    • Campaigns
    • Take action
    • Contact
  • hello@healthcoalition.ca
  • 343-558-1788
Donate OR Subscribe
    • English
Canadian Health Coalition
  • Home
  • About us
    • Our Team
  • News
  • Campaigns
  • Take action
  • Contact
  • Donate

    Support the Canadian Health Coalition

    $
    Select Payment Method
    Personal Info

    Credit Card Info
    This is a secure SSL encrypted payment.

    Donation Total: $55.00 One Time

CUPE calls for a higher priority and action on pharmacare

Homepage Commentary CUPE calls for a higher priority and action on pharmacare
Commentary

CUPE calls for a higher priority and action on pharmacare

January 14, 2022
By CDN Health Coalition
0 Comment
634 Views

By Pat Van Horne, USW member of the CHC Board of Directors

The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) says the federal government is long overdue on its promise to Canadians that there would be access to a list of essential medicines by January 1, 2022, as part of the move to a complete universal pharmacare program. CUPE National is a member of the Canadian Health Coalition.

With the mandate letter from the prime minister to the current Minister of Health, Jean-Yves Duclos, the only immediate commitment to a pharmacare plan is to, “Continue engaging with willing provinces and territories towards national universal pharmacare, while proceeding with a national strategy on high-cost drugs for rare diseases and advancing the establishment of the Canada Drug Agency.”

However, says CUPE, “the Minister of Health has postponed regulatory changes that would have better protected the public from excessive drug prices.

“It is time to hold the Liberals to their commitment to pharmacare to all.”

CUPE notes that, if the Liberal government had followed the recommendations of its Advisory Council on the Implementation of National Pharmacare, Canada would already be well on its way toward universal pharmacare.

From 2019: “The council recommends federal, provincial and territorial governments launch national pharmacare by offering universal coverage for a list of essential medicines by January 1, 2022.”
Hoskins, Dr. E. (2019), A Prescription for Canada: Achieving Pharmacare for All.

“New legislation in line with the Canada Health Act would have been in place guaranteeing comprehensive and public pharmacare,” says the union, which represents thousands of health care workers in Canada. “A new Canadian Drug Agency would have been working to lower Canada’ steep prescription drug costs. Families would save an average $350 per year.”

CUPE reminds readers that Canada remains the only developed country in the world with universal health care that does not include prescription drugs. With the third-highest cost per person for prescription drugs, Canada only trails the United States and Switzerland.

“Canada’s current patchwork system of more than 100,000 private and 100 public insurance plans is inefficient, expensive and unfair.”

Read “The federal government must pick up the pace on pharmacare” by CUPE National, January 12, 2022

Tags: Pharmacare

Previous Story
Boost voluntary plasma collection to ensure security of essential blood products, says Health Coalition
Next Story
Unifor launches “Vaccine Access for All” petition

Related Articles

Waiting for better pharmacare legislation could be worth it: NDP

This week’s edition of who is saying what about public...

Registration opens for Health & Hope Lobby on Parliament Hill

Tell MPs to champion public health care

Recent Posts

  • Waiting for better pharmacare legislation could be worth it: NDP Nov 29, 2023
  • Registration opens for Health & Hope Lobby on Parliament Hill Nov 27, 2023
  • Health Coalition joins anti-poverty groups at meeting for Parliamentarians Nov 24, 2023
  • Government unlikely to fulfill promise for Pharmacare Act by year’s end Nov 22, 2023
  • A rush to privatize health care is on Nov 22, 2023

Tags

Canada Health Transfer Canadian Health Coalition COVID-19 Dental Care Federal Election 44 Health+Hope 2025 Health Care Workers Health Policy Home care Long-term Care Medicare Mental Health Pharmacare Plasma Privatization Racism Reproductive Health Care Solutions series

Cdn Health Coalition Follow 7,483 6,081

HealthCoalition
Retweet on Twitter Cdn Health Coalition Retweeted

Today, the HoC health committee begins studying the topic of Women's Health.

As the largest regulated health profession - comprised of 90% women - nurses' health is an important component of women's health.

See our brief w/ recommendations here: https://rb.gy/67n4sy #cdnpoli

Reply on Twitter 1729176204388024680 Retweet on Twitter 1729176204388024680 8 Like on Twitter 1729176204388024680 9 Twitter 1729176204388024680
Canadian Health Coalition
2841 Riverside Dr.
Ottawa, Ontario K1V 8X7
+343.558.1788
hello@healthcoalition.ca
  • Home
  • What we do
  • Campaigns
  • News
  • Contact

Find posts prior to January 1, 2021
SearchPostsLogin
Wednesday, 29, Nov
Waiting for better pharmacare legislation could be worth it: NDP
Monday, 27, Nov
Registration opens for Health & Hope Lobby on Parliament Hill
Friday, 24, Nov
Health Coalition joins anti-poverty groups at meeting for Parliamentarians
Wednesday, 22, Nov
Government unlikely to fulfill promise for Pharmacare Act by year’s end
Wednesday, 22, Nov
A rush to privatize health care is on
Wednesday, 22, Nov
Public backs striking health care workers in Québec

Welcome back,