An expert panel’s final report on a national pharmacare program in Canada says there should be one and it would save families on average about $350 a year.
Chair of the Advisory Council on the Implementation of National Pharmacare, Dr. Eric Hoskins, says they heard from thousands the belief that Canada should have access to prescription drugs based on need and not on the ability to pay and that’s why the council has recommended Canada implement universal, single-payer, public pharmacare.

The report concludes the best plan for Canada is to organize prescription drug coverage the way universal health care is set up. Dr. Hoskins suggests the first thing would be to set up a new drug agency responsible for developing a list of prescription drugs with the deadline of January 1st, 2022. The agency would be in charge of approving drugs for the formulary.

The report suggests it would be up to the provinces and territories to opt in to national pharmacare, and the recommendation is for the federal government to pay for the incremental costs of expanding coverage and implementing the program. Canada is the only country with universal health care that doesn’t have universal coverage for prescription drugs.

Saskatchewan’s official opposition is on board with the idea of a national pharmacare system and is calling on the Premier to work with the federal government to implement it. NDP Leader, Ryan Meili, says, “No one should have to choose between paying rent and paying for the prescription drugs they need.”

The CFIB says business owners are open to the idea but they strongly oppose funding it through payroll taxes or a GST increase. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business believes it should instead be funded through cost savings from negotiating lower drug prices because of buying in bulk and reallocating funds by cutting existing spending.