National pharmacare—the time is now – Macleans.ca
Canada is the only high-income country in the world with a universal health care system that does not include a universal drug plan. One in 10 Canadians—approximately 3.5 million people—still have trouble filling prescriptions because of cost. Nearly a million of our fellow Canadians are cutting back on food or turning down thermostats just to pay for the prescription drugs they need.
Costs for prescription drugs not only present a serious challenge to families in Canada, but to our health care system as a whole. We pay more for drugs than Australia, New Zealand and almost every European country. Only the United States and Switzerland pay more than we do.