The Council of Canadians Peterborough-Kawarthas chapter promoted pharmacare at the Dandelion Day Festival at Millennium Park yesterday.
The Dandelion Day Festival is organized by Transition Town Peterborough to celebrate “healthy lifestyles and local prosperity” and featured Sun Stage Entertainment, a Dandelion Village Marketplace, the Dandelion Café, Local Food Vendors, Healthy Living Demos, a Children’s Activity Wall and much more.
Last month, the Ontario government announced its intention to proceed with a provincial pharmacare plan. Chapter activist Roy Brady, who is also the chairperson of the Peterborough Health Coalition, expressed his support for that and stated he wanted the federal government to roll out a universal drug plan for everyone across the country.
This past week the Council of Canadians released the results of an Environics poll that confirmed a high level of support for pharmacare in this country – 91 per cent would support the Trudeau government implementing pharmacare.
Unfortunately, Toronto Star columnist Susan Delacourt comments, “Pharmacare is not anywhere near the top of the federal government’s to-do list at present. Health Minister Jane Philpott has been saying repeatedly that her mandate, as far as it concerns drug prices and availability, is limited to getting better deals within the status quo. The Commons health committee has been studying the idea of a national pharmacare program off and on since late 2015. …But neither Philpott nor her government has shown much enthusiasm for the committee’s work — at least so far.”
Sixteen Council of Canadians chapters highlighted pharmacare this past week to put pressure on the federal government to take action on this issue.
To tell the Prime Minister and Health Minister it’s time for pharmacare, please go to on our online action alert here.