With a federal election looming, we need swift action to make pharmacare a reality for Canadians across the country

By Doug Roth

The passage of Canada’s historic pharmacare bill deserves celebration – but with a federal election looming, it risks becoming a footnote rather than a reality for Canadians.

Getting the bill through the House and the Senate was one matter; now Health Minister Mark Holland and the federal government must work to finalize bilateral agreements with provincial and territorial governments before time runs out so that essential medications included in the bill will reach those who need them.

The pharmacare bill lays the foundational principles for the first phase of national universal pharmacare through publicly funded coverage of diabetes and contraceptive medications. This is a step in the right direction to improve drug access, affordability, coverage, equity and cost savings to our healthcare system.

Pharmacare makes good health and financial sense. Not just for diabetes and birth control – but for medications for heart disease and stroke too.

A feasible next step would include adding cardiovascular medications commonly used by people with diabetes, as diabetes is an important risk factor for heart disease and stroke. People with diabetes are more likely to develop heart disease at a younger age and three times more likely to die of it.

In 2016, 16 per cent of people in Canada went without medication for heart disease, cholesterol and hypertension because they were too expensive, and the drug costs have only grown since the Covid-19 pandemic. A 2024 poll commissioned by Heart & Stroke and the Canadian Cancer Society found those who were diagnosed with a chronic health condition were significantly more likely to not have taken medication due to cost.

The same poll also found that these choices often caused health complication that needed emergency department (ED) visits, with almost one in 10 people in Canada visiting the ED due to a worsening health issue because they were not able to afford their prescription medications.

The affordability barriers that prevent people from following their doctor’s instructions for their prescription drugs result in unnecessary hospitalizations, preventable deaths and increased costs to the health care system.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

The good news is that pharmacare is no longer just an idea, but approved legislation. With swift action, through the signing of provincial/federal bilateral agreements before March 24, 2025, it could become a reality for many millions of Canadians.

Doug Roth is the chief executive officer at Heart & Stroke.