Pharmacare must expand as Trump’s tariffs threaten prescription drug access in Canada
This week’s edition of who is saying what about public health care is compiled by Pat Van Horne.
Pharamacare must expand, only three provinces and one territory now included in limited coverage under current program as Trump’s tariffs threaten access to prescription drugs
“. . .there are estimates that the lack of access to prescription drugs leads to 370 to 640 premature deaths due to ischemic heart disease, 550 to 670 premature deaths from all causes among people 55-64 years of age and avoidable deterioration in health status in 70,000 people age 55 and over. . .When Canadians must choose between buying prescription drugs and paying for food and rent, it’s often no contest; patients skip their medications and suffer the consequences. The result is additional physician visits, more visits to already overcrowded emergency departments and more admissions to hospitals. . . We need to expand Canada’s federal pharmacare plan to cover all Canadians for all medically necessary drugs. Indeed, the need has never been as acute,” wrote Joel Lexchin, CHC Board member; Professor Emeritus of Health Policy and Management, York University, in The Conversation, May 4, 2025.
Can Liberals deliver on health care promises?
“I can’t recall an election in recent decades where less attention was given to health care,” said Nelson Wiseman professor emeritus in political science at the University of Toronto, who blames the oversight on tense relations with the United States and the Trump administration, which he says “eclipsed virtually all other issues except affordability,” CTV News, May 2, 2025.
NDP Health Critic Don Davies now interim federal leader of reduced NDP
“While the recent election results were not what we hoped for, our commitment to building a better Canada has never been stronger . . .With a renewed sense of purpose, we will hold the government to account and keep fighting for the issues we heard about on doorsteps across the country – public health care, affordable homes, good jobs, and making the ultra-rich finally pay their fair share,” said NDP President Mary Shortall in a statement, Global News, May 5, 2025.
Manitoba to bring more health-care aides to check on patients in the hospital ER following January death
“The information did not flow as quickly as it should have. . .As the minister, there are a few things that are fundamentally important in terms of how our relationships with regional health authorities and leaders across the system function. . .Accountability, transparency and communication are key, whether you’re talking about finances… or tragedies. . . That tragedy provided opportunities for us as a system to improve and to learn, and that work continues to be done,” said Manitoba Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara, after a critical incident review, which produced 17 recommendations aimed at preventing deaths in ERs across Manitoba, Winnipeg Free Press, May 1, 2025.
Quebec family doctors say “non” to latest government offer
“We will continue discussions with the Fédération des médecins omnipraticiens du Québec (FMOQ). No one will lose their family doctor. We are working to ensure that Quebecers have access to the right professionals and care when they need it,” said Quebec Treasury Board President Sonia LeBel, following rejection of a plan that calls for half a family doctor’s salary to be based on a capitation model, which means instead of being paid on a fee-for-service basis, a doctor would receive a fixed annual amount for each patient on their list, The Gazette/La Presse Canadienne, May 4, 2025.
BC: Island Health Cancels Eating Disorder Contract with Telus, no obvious replacement
“We recently learned that this contract is not being renewed . . .Privatization of health care is a serious concern, especially when there is no reliable continuity of care,” said BC Green Party interim leader Jeremy Valeriote, following the cancellation of a 2023 Island Health contract to pay Telus Health Solutions $292,500 to support up to 35 people on southern Vancouver Island, The Tyee, May 2, 2025.
Pharmacare to benefit thousands of Prince Edward Island residents
“I believe it will benefit about 41,000 Islanders for contraceptives and about 16,000 people who have diabetes on PEI . . . We’re very proud that we were able to get that deal done with the federal government,” said PEI Health Minister Mark McLane, (PEI signed on to the Pharmacare program in March), CBC News, May 2, 2025.
Atlantic senators push for accelerated pathway to license internationally-trained physicians
“We have put forward to each political party that the federal government should fund at least 4,500 Practice Ready Assessment (PRA) slots across the country over a four-year period. Given that the average family physician has a patient carrying capacity of about 1,500 patients per year, this would give most Canadians access to a family doctor by the end of the defined time period. . . The Government of Canada can quickly and cost-effectively help mitigate this crisis by directly funding Practice Ready Assessment (PRA) programs across Canada,” wrote Dr. Stanley Kutcher, a psychiatrist, professor emeritus in the faculty of medicine at Dalhousie University, and Independent Senator for Nova Scotia and Mohamed-Iqbal Ravalia, a former family physician, and Independent Senator for Newfoundland and Labrador, in Hill Times, April 28, 2025.
Vaccine registry required as measles concerns rise in Alberta and Ontario
“Patients are understandably upset when they learn that I’m unable to directly access the records showing which vaccines they’ve had. It’s a frustration I share at having wasted both their time and mine. Not knowing also means postponing vaccine administration and increasing the cost to health plans. Everyone loses. . .The provinces and territories rely on outdated record keeping that’s siloed in clinics, pharmacies, hospitals and local public health units. These systems weren’t designed to share health information but to protect it, including from clinicians working outside those systems. Vaccine information is too often hidden from clinicians at a time it’s most needed, when a patient is being assessed in a clinic, urgent care setting or an emergency room,” said Dr. Iris Gorfinkle, family physician and founder of PrimeHealth Clinical Research in Toronto, The Globe and Mail, May 6, 2025.
Parking could become a retention issue at Halifax hospitals
“It’s definitely extremely frustrating for our members and absolutely our members are going to look for other options if they continually face this situation every day,” said Hugh Gillis, first vice-president of the Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union (Nova Scotia Health has received so many complaints that it has set up an email address specifically for the parking issue), CBC News, May 2, 2025.
Climate change/wildfires mean more asthma attacks and ER visits
“There was a substantial increase in asthma-related ER visits in the first episode in early June, 2023, which was largely absent in the second episode that occurred near the end of that…The scale of the wildfires such as we observed in the year 2023 will likely happen in the future,” said Hong Chen, lead author of a study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, CTV News, May 5, 2025.
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