According to reports, the Trudeau government may unveil a national pharmacare program in Wednesday’s throne speech in Ottawa. The program may be based on last year’s Hoskins’ report, which recommended an expensive top-down Medicare-style approach that would artificially set drugs prices, restrict patient choice and limit private alternatives. Not only would such a program drive…
Free prescription drugs won’t mean a thing if Canadians can’t access the drugs they need. There has to be a better way to manage our supply
The Liberal federal government made a pre-election promise to establish a single, universal pharmacare program that would cover all, or most, of the costs of prescription drugs for Canadians. The idea has been discussed for decades, but the public conversation has rarely gone beyond unproven hopes that it will save billions of dollars and that…
Canadians have witnessed major scandals, offensive remarks, daily mud-slinging and policy proposals with big, shiny numbers that are wasteful enough to make adults cry
The federal election has just passed the halfway mark and many Canadians can’t wait until it’s over. This isn’t related to the usual malaise and frustration we see and hear during election season. Rather, it has everything to do with the fact this has been the most ridiculous political campaign in Canadian history. Where to…
Canada must cautiously approach any policy change that puts patients, innovation and innovative industries at risk
Justin Trudeau has promised, if re-elected, to introduce a national pharmacare program. But some cautionary notes must be sounded. The recent announcement was light on details but Trudeau cited his government’s advisory council on national pharmacare. In June, the council released its final report recommending Ottawa provide universal coverage for pharmaceuticals through a national formulary…
Both countries partner with the private sector and expect patients to share the cost of treatment
By Bacchus Barua and Kristina Acri The Fraser Institute The Liberal federal government seems poised to propose a national pharmacare plan in time for the Oct. 21 federal election. Many proponents note that Canada is the only industrialized country featuring a universal health-care system that doesn’t provide universal coverage for prescription drugs. However, those same…
Public coverage in Quebec is not only more generous, but drug approval is more timely than anywhere else in the country
As the Oct. 21 election looms, the government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau seems poised to make pharmacare a central issue of the campaign. In June, the Advisory Council on the Implementation of National Pharmacare, led by former Ontario health minister Eric Hoskins, tabled a report proposing a single-payer government-run universal drug plan in Canada.…
When it comes to prescription drug coverage, our health system has plenty in common with the United States – and that’s not a good thing
FROM OUR ARCHIVES Ed. note: This commentary was originally published Dec. 10, 2016. Most Canadians would agree that those who need potentially life-saving medications should have ready access to them. Yet prescription drug coverage in Canada varies widely depending on where you live, your health status, income and age. It's time for a universal pharmacare…
Prescription drug policy in Canada ought to be decided in the interest of Canadians, not based on the power of industry sector lobbies
“Canadians face some of the highest prescription drug prices in the world,” admitted the federal government when announcing the interim report from its Advisory Council on the Implementation of National Pharmacare. If Canadians hoped this report would provide details on how a national pharmacare program might be implemented and funded, they only got a taste.…
Will likely result in reduced access to new drugs, and delay research and development
The federal government’s pharmacare advisory council released a report last week outlining the “foundational” elements of a national plan. And Tuesday’s federal budget may include more details. Unfortunately, there’s a lot of misinformation and misunderstanding regarding core aspects of the pharmacare debate. Given that proponents in Canada often cite government-funded pharmacare programs in the United…
Instead of using scarce health-care dollars broadly, we should identify and support those Canadians falling through the cracks
Modern medicines can improve health outcomes and quality of life for those stricken with illness. As a result, policy-makers and ordinary Canadians are understandably concerned about patient access, affordability and insurance coverage for prescription drugs. However, recent calls for a national pharmacare program would have many believe that Canadians without private drug insurance – about…