Since COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic, Canada and the rest of the world has been responding to what will surely be remembered as the biggest health, social and economic crisis of our time. Providing a robust social system that includes universal access to health care is critically essential for Canada to succeed in a global economy.
However, Canada remains the only developed country with a universal health care system that has no universal prescription drug coverage.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 8 million Canadians did not have prescription drug coverage and an estimated 3 million Canadians did not take medicines prescribed by their doctors because they couldn’t afford them. In a matter of weeks, millions of Canadians have been laid off with few of them having any health care benefits to carry them through this crisis.
The time to act is now – together we need to demand universal pharmacare for everyone, regardless of income, age, or where the person works or lives.