Nurses applaud health ministers’ stand on national prescription drug plan

Nurses from across the country are standing with Canada’s provincial and territorial health ministers as they push the federal government to implement a national pharmacare strategy.

“We are encouraged that the health ministers understand lowering the cost of prescription drugs is critical to improving the health of Canadians,” said CFNU President Linda Silas today at the health ministers’ meeting in Banff.

“We are now calling on the federal government to move forward with a plan for pharmacare,” Silas said.

Research conducted for CFNU shows that a national prescription drug strategy could allow as much as $11.4 billion per year to be made available for reinvestment in health care. Pharmacare would also ensure the sustainability and access of prescription drugs for all Canadians.

“Rising costs have made prescription drugs inaccessible to many of our country’s most vulnerable populations, including seniors,” Silas said.

With a national election expected in 2015, CFNU plans to press all political federal parties to pursue a national pharmacare strategy.

CFNU represents close to 200,000 nurses and student nurses across Canada, including members of UNA.

Click here for more information from CFNU on the need for pharmacare.