OTTAWA, ON (June 12, 2019): Today, the federal government’s Advisory Council on the Implementation of National Pharmacare will deliver its long-awaited report, and MLI Munk Senior Fellow Sean Speer is available to comment.
The panel, chaired by Dr. Eric Hoskins, was tasked to examine prospects for a national pharmacare system, and its recommendations are likely to add fuel to an already heated debate over the federal government’s role in ensuring affordable and accessible medicines for Canadians. This will likely develop into a major issue in the October federal election.
While many commentators are pushing for a new, single-payer federal pharmacare system to cover all Canadians, this may not be the most effective approach, according to Speer, who will be publishing an MLI paper on pharmacare this week.
“We need to be careful here to understand what problem we’re trying to solve,” says Speer. “Most Canadians are covered and largely happy with their drug plans. We want to preserve their effective coverage, and find ways to fill the gaps between employer plans and government programs for people on low incomes or seniors.”
To arrange an interview, media are invited to contact:
David Watson
Managing Editor and Communications Director
613-482-8327 x 103
david.watson@macdonaldlaurier.
