Press Release
For Immediate Release
Statement from Nikolas Barry-Shaw, Council of Canadians campaigner for public pharmacare:
OTTAWA – “This budget commitment is an order of magnitude away from the investment we need to see public, single-payer pharmacare succeed. We celebrated when the Pharmacare Act was introduced because it prioritized care for people over the corporate power that has kept drug prices so high for so long, but today’s budget is nowhere near the investment necessary to relieve people from the corporate price gouging that keeps medicines out of Canadians’ hands.
Adequate funding is key for moving negotiations forward with the provinces and securing their buy-in. More federal money would make it much easier for provinces to get on board and implement pharmacare promptly.
Patients have waited long enough for pharmacare. We’ll continue fighting alongside them to win a comprehensive and ambitious plan that delivers for Canadians now, and can be quickly expanded to include all those struggling to afford their medications. Today, the federal government missed a key opportunity.”
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For media inquiries, please contact:
Council of Canadians
media@canadians.org
613-404-2004
