Pharmaceutical Access
Ensuring access to safe, effective and affordable prescription drugs for all Canadians
Canada’s registered nurses believe that every Canadian should have timely access to safe and effective prescription drugs, and that no Canadian should be deprived of needed prescription drugs because they are unable to pay.
CNA believes that federal, provincial and territorial governments should fulfill their commitment to implement the National Pharmaceuticals Strategy, as outlined in their 2004 statement, A 10-year plan to strengthen health care.
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Building on discussions in 2000 and 2003, Canada’s First Ministers agreed to take measures to ensure that all Canadians, wherever they live, have reasonable access to catastrophic drug coverage. They also agreed to promote optimal drug use, best practices in drug prescribing, and better management of the costs of all prescription drugs, including generic drugs, to ensure that drugs are safe, effective and accessible in a timely and cost-effective fashion.
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According to a status report on the National Pharmaceuticals Strategy by the Health Council of Canada, progress in all of these areas has been unacceptable.
The 2009 federal funding announcement to provide $500 million to Canada Health Infoway (CHI) to expand the electronic health records is a good start. CNA believes CHI should target a portion of those funds to continue development of the infostructure needed to implement e-prescribing – an important strategy for promoting patient safety by reducing medication errors that cost the system millions of dollars.
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CNA, as a member of the Coalition for a Canadian Pharmaceutical Strategy, has been working to make sure all Canadians – including the 20 per cent who currently have no insurance or are underinsured for prescription drugs – have access to the pharmaceutical medications they need.
Nurses are strongly committed to providing safe, equitable and effective health care. Pharmaceuticals are an important part of that care.
Follow CNA’s history of advocacy for a national pharmaceutical strategy
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CNA Reacts to Release of National Pharmaceuticals Strategy Report (January 2009)
Campaign 2008 – CNA’s Four Issues for the Election (October 2008)
Review of the 10-Year Plan to Strengthen Health Care (May 2008)
Open Letter to Canada’s Premiers on a Canadian Pharmaceutical Strategy (2006)
Framework for a Canadian Pharmaceutical Strategy (2006)
NPS Progress Report: First the report, now action! says Coalition (September 2006)
Hope runs high, confidence runs low one year into the 10-Year Plan to Strengthen Health Care (September 2005)
CNA Presentation to House of Commons Standing Committee on Health: Study on Prescription Drugs (September 2003)
The Health System Nurses Want: A Pre-Budget Submission to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance on Behalf of Canada’s Nurses (November 2002)
Optimizing the Health of the Health System: Brief to the Commission on the Future of Health Care in Canada (October 2001)
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Further reading on pharmaceutical access
Federal, provincial and territorial government resources
Health Council of Canada Report
A Status Report on the National Pharmaceuticals Strategy: A Prescription Unfilled (January 2009)
Federal/Provincial/Territorial Ministerial Task Force
National Pharmaceuticals Strategy Progress Report (June 2006)
Other resources
Canadian Cancer Society
A National Pharmacare System (August 2008)
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Canadian Health Coalition
More for Less: Pharmacare - A National Drug Plan (September 2007)
Health Charities Coalition of Canada –
Position Statement – National Pharmaceuticals Strategy (November 2006)
Canadian Healthcare Association
Policy Positions Regarding Issues addressed by the National Pharmaceuticals Strategy (February 2006)
