Canada is the only country in the world with a Universal Health Care program that lacks coverage for prescription drugs.1 Many people report skipping, reducing, or going without prescribed medication due to costs. About one-in-eight Canadians (13%) spent $500 or more out-of-pocket on prescription medications over the past year.2 17% of individuals without prescription insurance report skipping or decreasing medical prescriptions due to costs, compared to 7% of individuals with insurance.3 And the private sector isn’t meeting our needs, either: the people who experience poverty the most (Indigenous and/or racialized people) are the ones least able to access private health insurance.4 In short, Canada is failing in its legal and moral obligation to create the conditions in which all people can enjoy their right to an adequate standard of living, particularly when it comes to healthcare.5
We know that pharmacare would improve access to necessary medication, financial protection for those who are sick, bargaining power in medication price negotiation, and overall access to healthcare.6 That’s why Citizens for Public Justice is calling on the public to join us in Everyone Deserves Access, a pharmacare awareness campaign launched by the Canadian Health Coalition and partners urging the government to follow through on their promise of pharmacare.7
The push for pharmacare isn’t a new idea for the federal government. In 1961, the Royal Commission on Health Services (a.k.a. the Hall Commission) recommended a single payer pharmacare program and public dental program.8 In 2019, the government-commissioned Hoskins Report also outlined the benefits of a single-payer program.9 Years later, on October 10th, 2024, the Pharmacare Act became law, obligating minimum coverage for contraceptives and diabetes medications.10 However, only three provinces and one territory have signed onto pharmacare agreements so far.11
Without national standards, provincial medication benefit programs come in various forms and cover different populations with different eligibility requirements.12 Truly universal health care means people should be able to access the care and medications they need, regardless of their employment, income, age, immigration status, or what part of the country they live in.13 In addition, a single-payer pharmacare program would give Canada greater bargaining power when purchasing medication, negotiating lower costs than any single province or insurance company can achieve.14
You can help advance pharmacare and close inequitable health gaps in Canada by simply adding your name to a letter drafted by health care experts advocating for a more just and robust health care system. When you join, the letter is sent directly to Prime Minister Carney and Health Minister Michel, along with a copy to your local MP. Be part of the movement today by clicking the link below:
Sources
1Cortes, K.,& Smith, L. (2022, November 2).Pharmaceutical access and use during the pandemic. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/75-006-x/2022001/article/00011-eng.htm
2Ibid, 2022
3Ibid, 2022
4Ibid, 2022
5United Nations, “Universal Declaration on Human Rights.” n.d. https://www.un.org/en/about-us/univer-sal-declaration-of-human-rights
6C.D. Howe Institute. Rethinking Pharmacare in Canada. Commentary No. 384 June 2013 Health Policy. 2013. https://www.cdhowe.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Commentary_384_0-1-20241220-040616.pdf
7Canadian Health Coalition. “Tell the PM: Everyone deserves access to pharmacare – Canadian health coalition.” https://www.healthcoalition.ca/tell-the-pm-everyone-deserves-access-to-pharmacare/
8Christine Sismondo. “The history of why Canada’s health care system falls short,” Macleans. 2018. https://macleans.ca/facebook-instant-articles/the-history-of-why-canadas-healthcare-system-falls-short/
9Advisory Council on the Implementation of National Pharmacare. A Prescription for Canada: Achieving Pharmacare for All: Final Report of the Advisory Council on the Implementation of National Pharmacare. 2019. https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/corporate/about-health-canada/public-engagement/external-advisory-bodies/implementation-national-pharmacare/final-report.html
10Canadian Health Coalition. “Tell the PM: Everyone deserves access to pharmacare – Canadian health coalition.” https://www.healthcoalition.ca/tell-the-pm-everyone-deserves-access-to-pharmacare/
11Ibid, 2025
12C.D. Howe Institute. Rethinking Pharmacare in Canada. Commentary No. 384 June 2013 Health Policy. 2013. https://www.cdhowe.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Commentary_384_0-1-20241220-040616.pdf
13Ibid, 2013
14Ibid, 2013
15Keyes, H. (2025, October 1). Tell the PM: Everyone deserves access to pharmacare – Canadian health coalition. https://www.healthcoalition.ca/tell-the-pm-everyone-deserves-access-to-pharmacare/
16Ibid, 2025
17Ibid, 2025
