OTTAWA – The Green Party of Canada today welcomed new research showing that universal access to medication not only improves health outcomes but also the economic wellbeing of low income Canadians.
“This study adds to the growing body of research that supports the Green Party’s commitment to introduce the basic formulary for everyone in the first year,” said Green Party Leader Elizabeth May.
The Green Party’s 2019 election platform contains a 2020-21 commitment of $26.8 billion to introduce pharmacare for everyone.
The new study by St. Michael’s Hospital’s MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions found that providing free medicine resulted in a 44 per cent increase in people taking their essential medications and led to a 160 per cent increase in the likelihood of participants being able to make ends meet. Participants were also found to experience a reduction in systolic blood pressure.
A June 2019 report by the Advisory Council on the Implementation of National Pharmacare, led by Dr. Eric Hoskins, noted that recent studies have found that only 20 per cent of Canadians have adequate drug coverage, almost one million Canadians have cut their household spending on food and heat to pay for medication, and one in five households have a family member who, in the past year, has not taken a prescribed medicine due to its cost.
“We are proud to be making this level of commitment to improving the health of Canadians,” said Ms. May. “Canada is the only industrialized country in the world offering free health care not complemented by free drug coverage. Green MPs will resolve that unacceptable situation without delay.”
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