QUESTION PERIOD — Health
Universal Pharmacare
February 16, 2021
Honourable senators, my question is for the Government Representative in the Senate.
Senator Gold, poor access to pharmaceutical drugs has been long recognized as an issue facing many Canadians, especially the working poor. In fact, your government recognized as such when the Advisory Council on the Implementation of National Pharmacare published its final report in June 2019, which strongly endorsed universal pharmacare.
In Budget 2019, the government announced three key elements to move us closer to pharmacare: first, the formation of the Canadian drug agency; second, the development of a national formulary; and third, a national strategy for rare diseases.
Senator Gold, can you please tell us what progress has been made by the government on each of these three issues?
Senator, thank you for your question and for underlining the importance of reasonable access to the drugs Canadians depend upon for their well-being. This government looks forward to Pharmacare being implemented. It will make a huge difference in the lives of Canadians.
While the government’s immediate focus is on fighting COVID-19 and supporting Canadians as we recover from this crisis, the government continues to make progress on implementing these important long-term commitments.
I’ve been advised of the following steps that have been taken. This government is sitting down with the provinces and territories to develop a universal Pharmacare system guided by the principles of the Hoskins’s Advisory Council report in 2019, it has taken action to bring down the cost of rare-disease drugs and to establish a Canada Drug Agency to make drug purchasing more efficient.
It’s an important issue, senator. Thank you for your question. The government continues to work for the provinces, whose jurisdiction over health care is clear, and the government is working in partnership to advance this important industry.
Senator Gold, all too often, public formularies are developed with the needs of adult patients in mind. Children and youth have different prescription needs, require different medications for different indications and in different dosage forms than older Canadians. How will the government ensure that the national formulary is sensitive to the unique needs of the pediatric population? What will the government do to guarantee that national Pharmacare works for all Canadians, including our youngest citizens?
Thank you, senator, for that question. The way in which Pharmacare will meet the needs of all Canadians — young, old or in between — is by this government’s continued commitment to work with the provinces and the experts in health care, to make sure the program that is designed, together, and along with Indigenous communities, will reflect the true and diverse needs of all segments of our population.