Federal NDP health critic Peter Julian was in the capital city Saturday for a town hall-style meeting with residents regarding the national pharmacare program.
The federal government is introducing the program that will cover the cost of diabetes medications and devices, as well as contraceptives, in an effort to reduce costs for people who struggle to afford those things.
The pharmacare program was a major part of the NDP’s platform and was agreed to by the governing Liberals for coalition support in the House of Commons.
Julian is the NDP’s House leader and a member of the federal standing committee of health.
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(Photo via CPAC)
The MP for New Westminster-Burnaby in British Columbia says it’s hoped that this is just the first step in a much broader range of pharmaceutical coverage.
“It’s a good way to set the stage for the next stage of pharmacare, which we hope would extend to all medications,” he said.
“As the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions has told us, we lose hundreds of people who die every year because they can’t afford to take the medication that their doctors prescribe and that would keep them in good health. That’s simply unacceptable for a country like Canada.”