The health care of millions of Canadians hangs in the balance as the March deadline looms for the federal government to deliver on its promised universal pharmacare program.
As a condition of its supply-and-confidence agreement with the NDP, the minority Liberal government has vowed to introduce legislation to bring in universal pharmacare.
With negotiations ongoing, Parliamentarians need to advance the right solution that will deliver results for Canadians while acknowledging both the tough fiscal environment we find ourselves in, and the changing role of pharmacies across the country.
Sandra Hanna is a community pharmacist and pharmacy owner in Guelph, Ont., and the CEO of the Neighbourhood Pharmacy Association of Canada. Photograph courtesy of Sandra Hanna
But it is also critical that their decision on pharmacare doesn’t come at the expense of other parts of the broader health care system, making it more challenging for Canadians to get the care they need. We need to ensure there are no disruptions or diminished access to medications for Canadians who already have some form of drug coverage through their own benefits programs.
As a pharmacist and pharmacy owner in Guelph, Ont., I am a firm believer that all Canadians deserve access to the medications they need regardless of where they live, their employment status, or how much money they earn.
I see on a daily basis the inequity, anxiety, and health impacts patients experience when they do not have drug coverage through private or public insurance plans, and can’t afford the medications they need.
Policymakers debating the national pharmacare program should focus on providing prescription drug coverage to these individuals as a top priority—not replacing the current drug plans most people already have.
Not only would this approach provide a much-needed lifeline to people in the greatest need, but also it would ensure we aren’t spending scarce health care dollars on those who already receive high-quality drug coverage through their existing plans.
Creating universal access to prescription drugs by building on public and private systems already in place would be significantly less costly than a single-payer system, leaving the federal and provincial governments with more funding available to invest in other major health priorities such as hospital care, mental health, and long-term care.
As they consider the final language of a pharmacare bill, legislators must be careful to make sure they protect patient access to critical health-care services, including those delivered by pharmacists across the country.
Over the past few years, pharmacies and their teams have played an increasingly important role as primary health-care providers, particularly in rural and remote regions. In many jurisdictions, we’ve taken on growing responsibilities to provide critical vaccinations and assess and provide treatments for minor ailments. We are stepping up to address gaps and alleviate pressure on our overburdened health system.
An analysis by the Neighbourhood Pharmacy Association of Canada estimates that beyond costing the government more than $15-billion—as estimated in the Hoskins Report—a single-payer pharmacare program would have a $1-billion hit to Canada’s pharmacy sector annually, which is equal to cutting approximately 20 million pharmacist hours, risking care disruption for Canadians.
As decisions-makers finalize their first draft of a pharmacare program, it is important that there is close collaboration with community pharmacies to ensure there are no disruptions in access to care or services. There must also be partnership with the provinces, many of which already have their own pharmacare programs, and will ultimately be responsible for delivering the program.
There is a unique opportunity for all parties to come together to ensure every Canadian has access to the medications they need, but it will take a non-partisan approach working together with the provinces and territories to close this health care gap.
Our healthcare system in Canada is under a lot of stress at this moment—yet, we have the opportunity to make a positive impact in the health outcomes of Canadians. Let's get it right.
Sandra Hanna is a community pharmacist and pharmacy owner in Guelph, Ont., and the CEO of the Neighbourhood Pharmacy Association of Canada.
Universal pharmacare plan needs to improve access without disrupting care
Policymakers need to ensure there are no disruptions or diminished access to medications for Canadians who already have some form of drug coverage through their own benefits programs.