Should Canada develop a national drug plan?

Pharmacare:Is it an idea whose time has come? A new study suggests that a federal drug plan would cost Canadians billions of dollars less than they are paying now.But are people ready to transfer all those costs onto the taxpayer's bill?

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INTRODUCTION

A new discussion was kicked off this past week by a study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. It says Canadians would spend billions of dollars less on drugs if they created a national drug plan to buy drugs in bulk. They could then be offered at low cost or free to anyone with a prescription.

The idea of pharmacare is not new. European countries have certainly embraced the idea. It's been around in Canada as long as the idea of medicare. Back in the 60's when Tommy Douglas was pushing for medicare, he thought drugs should be part of it, but even he looked upon it as 'step-two.' Well, many today feel it is time for 'step-two.' Polls suggest almost three-quarters of Canadians would support a national drug plan.

The idea has been around ...but what's new this time is that the researchers gained access to the figures on what Canadians are actually paying for drugs now -- $34-billion dollars in total. They were able to compare the figures to what they think it would cost if a government-run program were to be setup. The researchers say it not only makes economic sense but it would be better for the health of Canadians because too many are scrimping on medications they need simply because of the high cost.

The provinces might have something to say about this because healthcare is their responsibility ...and they are already banding together to get lower prices on drugs. The provinces currently offer a patchwork of plans aimed at seniors and low income people, while Quebec offers a limited but broader-based plan. Is a national plan the way to go?

Maybe you've had some experience with some of the provincial plans and you have ideas on whether a national plan would be better? Or you have some ideas on what a national plan might avoid? If you have a private insurance plan and are satisfied with it, we'd like to hear why.

What about the politics of health? There is no national party actively advocating a new comprehensive national pharmacare program. Why not? Would it be too complicated with Canada's federal system where the provinces hold the health care strings? We'd like to hear your thoughts on that too.

Our question: "Should Canada develop a national drug plan?"

I'm Rex Murphy ...on CBC Radio One ...and on Sirius XM, satellite radio channel 169 ...this is Cross Country Checkup.

GUESTS

Dr. Danielle Martin
Co-author's of this week's report on universal pharmacare in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. Family physician and Vice-President of Medical Affairs and Health Systems Solutions at Women's College Hospital in Toronto.
Twitter: @docdanielle

Andr Picard
Health Reporter and Columnist for the Globe and Mail.
Twitter: @picardonhealth

Bill Robson
President and C.E.O. of the C.D. Howe Institute in Toronto.
Twitter: @CDHoweInstitute

Dr. Robert Ouellet
Former president of the Canadian Medical Association and practising radiologist in Quebec.

LINKS

CBC.ca

• Universal drug plan would save billions UBC researchers say
• National pharmacare ...not a chance, by Brian Goldman
• Pharmacare national prescription drug program gains support (Oct. 5, 2014)

National Post

• National Pharmascare, by Yanick Labrie (Jun. 3, 2013)
• With Pharmacare, the cure is worse than the disease, by Mark Rovere (Jul. 6, 2011)
• Tread carefully on bulk drug purchases, by Kristina Lybecker & Nadeem Esmail (Aug. 6, 2013)
• The case for national pharmacare, by Marc-Andr Gagnon (Jun. 10, 2013)
• Skyrocketing costs make Canada's private drug plans unsustainable, insurance exec tells pharmacare panel (May 27, 2013)
• Pharmacare no panacea for health care costs, by Tasha Kheiriddin (Sept. 13, 2010)

Globe and Mail

• An affordable step toward true universality, by Konrad Yakabuski
• Editorial: Should Canadian Medicare Include Drug Coverage? (Dec. 7, 2014)
• Two new reports call for national prescription drug plan (Dec. 3, 2014)
• Why Canada needs a national pharmacare program, by Eric Hoskins
• Canadians generic-drug costs too high, study says (Oct. 14, 2014)
• Call growing louder for national prescription drug plan (Oct. 5, 2014)
• Universal pharmacare touted as way to save billions, by AndrPicard(Sept. 2010)

Toronto Star

• Why Canadian governments resist sensible pharmacare, by Thomas Walkom
• Q & A: Should Canada have a national pharmacare program?
• Editorial: Pharmacare Would Mean Big Savings While Closing Healthcare Gap

Canadian Medical Association Journal

• Estimated cost of universal public coverage of prescription drugs in Canada(pdf)

CD Howe Institute

• Rethinking Pharmacare in Canada (pdf)

The Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions

• A Roadmap to a Rational Pharmacare Program in Canada

Institute for Research on Public Policy

• Are Income-Based Public Drug Benefit Programs Fit for an Aging Population?

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