Election positioning got underway ahead of the Oct. 21 federal election last week when the NDP began to outline its plan to provide medication coverage for all Canadians by implementing a universal pharmacare system.

While the Liberal government’s leaked plan on prescription drugs was welcomed news for insurance and pharmaceutical companies, many have pointed out it will continue to leave millions of Canadians unable to afford the medication they need, noted Kootenay-Columbia MP Wayne Stetski in a media release.

“I’ve heard stories of constituents in my riding not taking the full dosage of their medication in order to make their supply last longer, and other cases of people having to choose between paying their hydro bill or paying the high cost of their medication,” he stated.

“This puts the health and well-being of people at risk. It’s shameful that the Liberal government is putting the profits of drug and insurance companies ahead of the well-being of Canadians. We deserve better and should not have to rack up our debt just to get the medicine our families need.”

Canada is the only industrialized country with a public healthcare system that does not include coverage for prescription drugs, Stetski pointed out.

The NDP’s proposed medication-coverage-for-all plan would include the cost of prescription drugs in Canada’s existing healthcare system and would utilize the negotiating power of 37 million Canadians to lower the overall costs of prescription medications, he explained.

“The Liberals continue to side with the richest corporations instead of doing what’s right for everyday Canadians struggling with the high costs of housing, daycare and expensive medication,” added Stetski. “Instead of giving billions of public dollars in tax breaks and giveaways to the most profitable corporations, we would make different choices. We would implement a universal, public, comprehensive pharmacare system that covers the cost of medication for every Canadian.”

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