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432-00318 (Health)

Paper petition

Original language of petition: English

Petition to the Government of Canada

THEREFORE, YOUR PETITIONERS call upon the Government of Canada, in cooperation with the provinces and territories, to:

  • Establish a Canada-wide prescription drug program, phasing in drug coverage for all citizens, beginning with catastrophic drug costs,
  • Reduce the costs of prescription drugs for Canadians by implementing a bulk purchasing plan, and
  • Introduce measures to ensure that new drugs are evaluated through evidence-based research to be more effective, before they are prescribed.

Response by the Minister of Health

Signed by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Darren Fisher

We are committed to strengthening Canada’s health care system and to supporting the health of Canadians. No Canadian should have to choose between paying for prescription drugs and putting food on the table, yet many are still forced to make this impossible decision as Canadians face some of the highest prescription drug prices in the world. This adversely affects the ability of Canadians to access needed medications and challenges the sustainability of Canada’s health care system. Current high prices in Canada place an added financial burden on public and private insurers, as well as on individuals who pay out of pocket for medications. 

That is why the Government of Canada is committed to working with provinces, territories and stakeholders to continue to implement national universal pharmacare so that Canadians have the drug coverage they need. As stated in the Speech from the Throne and the Fall Economic Statement, we will work with provinces and territories willing to move forward without delay and accelerate steps to achieve this system including establishing a Canadian Drug Agency, a national formulary, and a national strategy for high cost drugs for rare diseases.

Budget 2019 proposed to invest up to $1 billion over two years, starting in 2022-2023, with up to $500 million per year ongoing, to help Canadians with rare diseases access the drugs they need. We recognize that for many Canadians who require prescription drugs to treat rare diseases, the cost of these medications can be astronomically high. To support the development of a national strategy for high cost drugs for rare diseases, engagement efforts are commencing with the provinces and territories, along with stakeholders and the public.

Budget 2019 also announced the Government’s intention to establish a Canadian Drug Agency that would take a coordinated approach to assessing effectiveness and negotiating prescription drug prices on behalf of Canadians. The new agency would build on existing provincial and territorial successes, including the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH), which assesses clinical and cost-effectiveness and the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance (pCPA), which combines governments’ collective buying power to negotiate lower prices. It could also leverage collaboration between Health Canada and CADTH to align their respective review processes to ensure effectiveness assessments are available as soon as possible to guide decision-makers. Budget 2019 allocated $35 million over four years to establish a Canadian Drug Agency Transition Office to support the development of this vision. This office is currently being created to provide dedicated capacity and leadership to advance work on pharmacare-related priorities.

Additionally, as a foundational step towards national pharmacare, the Government of Canada recently modernized the way patented drug prices are regulated in Canada. The regulatory amendments to the Patented Medicines Regulations provide the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board with new tools and information to protect Canadians from excessive prices of patented medicines. This was the first substantive update to the regulations since 1987 and it is expected that these amendments will save Canadians billions in drug spending over the next 10 years. The amendments were published in Canada Gazette, Part II on August 21, 2019 and are available at: http://www.gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p2/2019/2019-08-21/html/sor-dors298-eng.html

Through these actions, we continue to work with provincial and territorial governments and other key partners to improve the affordability and accessibility of needed prescription drugs.

 

Presented to the House of Commons
Elizabeth May (Saanich—Gulf Islands)
November 30, 2020 (Petition No. 432-00318)
Government response tabled
January 25, 2021
Photo - Elizabeth May
Saanich—Gulf Islands
Green Party Caucus
British Columbia

Only validated signatures are counted towards the total number of signatures.