Canadian Medical Association eagerly anticipates fall PharmaCare legislation
Posted August 20, 2023 5:49 pm.
There is eager anticipation from the Canadian Medical Association after the Federal Health Minister confirmed this week that legislation to establish a national PharmaCare program will be coming this autumn.
After being discussed for years, Minister Mark Holland confirmed the tabling, but the CMA wants to make sure the legislation is done right.
Dr. Kathleen Ross, president of the Canadian Medical Association, tells CityNews there are multiple models the Feds could go with, but whatever they decide to do, they have to reduce the price of prescription drugs for everyone.
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“Our drug costs are some of the highest in the world for some medications and that’s really critically important,” she said.
Ross adds there are too many Canadians choosing between medications and other essential purchases.
“[I hear] many stories where people were forced to make a decision between filling their prescription and paying their rent or their mortgage or even putting food on the table.”
She notes if Canadians had better access to drugs, it would prevent a surplus of hospitalizations.
In 2020, an advisory council pegged the cost of a complete PharmaCare plan at $15 billion annually.
“I appreciate that there are costs upfront involved with building a universal health care system, [but] I think the payoff will be in better health outcomes,” Ross noted
In order to keep their confidence deal with the NDP, the Liberals need to pass the bill before the end of the year.
