Pharmacare’s Big Moment Is Here. The Deciding Factor Is Poli

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Pharmacare’s Big Moment Is Here. The Deciding Factor Is Political Will

[ https://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2023/10/19/P ... ign=201023 ]

October 19, 2023 - Nav Persaud is the Canada Research Chair in health justice at the University of Toronto. Steven G. Morgan is a professor in the UBC school of population and public health. This article was originally published in the Conversation.

It’s health policy that could shape this government’s legacy. What will Trudeau do?

The sword of Damocles hangs over the Trudeau government as it prepares a pharmacare bill that must be passed this year to uphold its supply and confidence agreement with the NDP. This month might be the most crucial time in the history of pharmacare, the long-promised yet undelivered program that would add necessary medicines to Canada’s national health insurance system.

Pharmacare is more than just a financial system. It is — or should be — a system of policies aimed at integrating medicines into Canadian Medicare to ensure access to a safe and secure supply of treatments at affordable prices.

Given the current challenges, pharmacare is once again in peril of failing to launch. A national procurement program for essential medicines, like the program used to acquire COVID-19 vaccines during the pandemic, could provide a feasible, evidence-based solution for Canadians.

In the face of industry lobbying, the federal Liberals appear weak . . . .

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