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441-00058 (Health)

Paper petition

Original language of petition: English

Petition to the Government of Canada

We, the undersigned residents of the Province of British Columbia, draw the attention of the Government of Canada to the following:

Whereas:

The cost of prescription medications and necessary medical supplies in Canada is excessive and varies greatly between provinces and territories;

The cost of prescription medications and medical supplies are continuing to rise significantly every year;

Many Canadians cannot afford to purchase their prescription medications and/or medical supplies or have to choose between purchasing prescription medications and medical supplies or providing for food and shelter.

Therefore, your petitioners request the Government of Canada to develop a comprehensive pan-Canada single payer and universal Pharmacare program that ensures that all Canadians can access medically prescribed and necessary medications and supplies regardless of their ability to pay.

Response by the Minister of Health

Signed by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Adam van Koeverden

No Canadian should have to choose between paying for prescription drugs and putting food on the table. Unfortunately, many are still forced to make this impossible decision. That is why our government continues to work with provinces, territories, and stakeholders to ensure that Canadians have better access to the drugs they need.

The Minister of Health's recent mandate letter from the Prime Minister reiterated the Government of Canada’s commitment to continue engaging with willing provinces and territories towards national universal pharmacare, while proceeding with a national strategy for drugs for rare diseases and advancing the establishment of the Canadian Drug Agency.

To that end, on August 11, 2021, the Government of Canada announced the signing of the first agreement with the Government of Prince Edward Island (PEI) to accelerate the implementation of national universal pharmacare. Through this agreement, PEI will receive $35 million over four years in federal funding, to add new drugs to its list of covered drugs, and lower out of pockets costs for drugs covered under existing public plans for Island residents. The Government of Canada will use early lessons from PEI’s efforts to inform its ongoing work to advance national universal pharmacare.

This agreement will also build on the foundational steps that are already in progress, including establishing a national strategy for drugs for rare diseases, a Canadian Drug Agency (CDA), and a national formulary.

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 drugs for rare diseases, a public and stakeholder engagement process was launched in early 2021 and concluded on March 26th, 2021. A What We Heard report summarizing key themes and feedback that emerged during the public and stakeholder engagement has been published on the engagement webpage. We anticipate that there will be further opportunities to provide input on a comprehensive model for the national strategy.

Launched in 2021, the Canadian Drug Agency Transition Office (CDATO) is overseeing the creation of the Canadian Drug Agency based on engagement with provinces, territories, and stakeholders. The Transition Office is providing dedicated capacity and leadership to develop a plan to establish the CDA in order to improve pharmaceutical system coordination and bolster related functions. Budget 2019 provided Health Canada with $35 million over four years, starting in 2019–20, to establish the CDATO.

Work is also underway with partners to develop a national formulary. A national formulary would provide a comprehensive, evidence-based list of prescribed drugs and related products to support consistent patient access to treatments across the country. In July 2021, an arms-length organization, the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH), established a multidisciplinary national panel to develop a draft formulary framework for consultation this winter. More information is available on the CADTH website.

Presented to the House of Commons
Richard Cannings (South Okanagan—West Kootenay)
December 13, 2021 (Petition No. 441-00058)
Government response tabled
January 31, 2022
Photo - Richard Cannings
South Okanagan—West Kootenay
New Democratic Party Caucus
British Columbia

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