Health coalitions call on federal Liberals to keep their pharmacare promise
This joint statement is being released before the Liberal’s national caucus retreat in Edmonton on September 8.
The historic passing of Bill C-64: An Act Respecting Pharmacare last October brought us closer than we’ve ever been to achieving universal drug coverage in Canada, with a preliminary plan for universal coverage of contraceptives and diabetes medication and devices. Since then, bilateral agreements have been signed by the federal government with Manitoba, British Columbia, Prince Edward Island, and Yukon, to get coverage for diabetes and contraceptive medications under way. Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Saskatchewan, Nunavut and the Northwest Territories have all been mentioned as potentially being next in line.
Yet, since the federal election this spring, not one new agreement has been signed with a provincial or territorial government, and recent concerning comments from the federal government have us increasingly concerned that pharmacare’s future is at risk.
As Canadians’ anxiety grows over the rising cost of living — including what new tariffs mean for their jobs, health benefits, drug costs, and pocketbooks — the federal government is creating uncertainty about whether it intends to fulfill their promise to deliver much-needed relief when it comes to bringing down drug costs via a national public drug plan.
The federal Liberal caucus is meeting for their pre-session retreat in Edmonton next week. Before they gather, we want to remind them that during the recent federal election they repeatedly promised continued action on implementing pharmacare. Many Canadians voted for them with this promise in mind expecting it to be fulfilled.
National pharmacare legislation is now law, the framework exists, and 4 jurisdictions have signed agreements to implement it. The Liberal government should be working to ensure all Canadians, in every province and territory, have equal access to contraceptives and the lifesaving diabetes medications and devices they need.
Health care advocates and coalitions from across the country call on the Liberal caucus to clearly commit to fulfilling their promise of implementing national pharmacare when they meet next week. Anything less is simply unacceptable.
This is a joint statement between the British Columbia Health Coalition, the Canadian Health Coalition, Coalition solidarité santé (Quebec), Friends of Medicare (Alberta), the Manitoba Health Coalition, the Ontario Health Coalition, the New Brunswick Health Coalition, the Nova Scotia Health Coalition, the Prince Edward Island Health Coalition, and the Saskatchewan Health Coalition.
