Health and Community Services
June 9, 2015
Supporting the Health of Families and Communities
Provincial Government Participates in National Roundtable on Pharmacare
The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador continues to participate in the ongoing dialogue related to the establishment of a national universal pharmacare program. The Honourable Steve Kent, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health and Community Services, met with provincial and territorial counterparts, academics, advocates and other national and international experts in Toronto yesterday for a roundtable event to advance the national discussion regarding pharmacare.
“I am proud to participate in a progressive discussion around advancing the way we deliver prescription drugs to the people of Newfoundland and Labrador, and indeed all Canadians. I am on record as a strong supporter of phamacare, and I believe we can affect positive change with the right amount of collaboration and a desire for creative solutions. Canada is the only developed country with universal health insurance that does not provide universal coverage of prescription drugs. Pharmaceutical drugs are becoming more and more expensive and more Canadians are finding themselves unable to afford to take the drugs they require. A pharmacare program can reverse that trend.”
- The Honourable Steve Kent, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health and Community Services
The Minister’s Roundtable on National Pharmacare was organized by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care as an opportunity for the provinces to establish an understanding of the key elements of a national pharmacare program that will provide equitable access for all and to examine and develop policy considerations such as patient choice, investment return cycle and other sector impacts.
Evidence suggests that a universal pharmacare program would save Canadians billions of dollars while improving access and health equity. A study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal in March of 2015 found that universal public drug coverage would likely reduce total Canadian spending on prescription drugs by $7.3 billion.
Attempts by provinces and territories to improve access to pharmaceutical drugs have succeeded in extending coverage to vulnerable groups and have limited the growth of public expenditures on drugs. Despite these efforts, prescription drug costs remain a challenge for many residents.
“Our government continues to work to provide residents with enhanced access to the prescription drugs and related services that they need. In addition to our dedication to the formation of a national pharmacare program, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador continues to invest in increased access to much-needed medicines and services.”
- Minister Kent
Budget 2015 includes a strategic investment of $2.6 million to implement new drug therapies under the Newfoundland and Labrador Prescription Drug Program (NLPDP), including drugs for the treatment of Hepatitis C and pulmonary hypertension, as well as new cancer therapies for lung cancer and multiple myloma.
QUICK FACTS
- The Honourable Steve Kent, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health and Community Services, attended the Minister’s Roundtable on National Pharmacare in Toronto on Monday, June 8.
- The roundtable was organized by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care as an opportunity to advance the national discussion regarding the formation of a national universal pharmacare program.
- A study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal in March of 2015 found that universal public drug coverage would likely reduce total Canadian spending on prescription drugs by $7.3 billion.
- Budget 2015 includes a strategic investment of $2.6 million to implement new drug therapies under the Newfoundland and Labrador Prescription Drug Program (NLPDP).
- 30 -
Media contact:
|
John Tompkins Director of Communications Department of Health and Community Services 709-729-1377, 728-7762 jtompkins@gov.nl.ca |
2015 06 09 11:55 a.m.