Join your Lethbridge Chapter for a free, public presentation:

Should Canada Establish a Single-Payer National Pharmacare Program? 

Hosted by SACPA & The University of Lethbridge. With guest speaker, Sandra Azocar, Executive Director of Friends of Medicare.

Of all the developed countries with universal, single-payer health care systems, Canada is the only one that does not include coverage for prescription drugs. There are currently 23 different public drug and supplementary plans within Alberta alone, but they provide benefits for just 20% of Albertans. Within Canada we have a patchwork of drug coverage, with more than 100,000 different drug and supplementary plans, yet, 1 in 10 Canadians cannot afford their prescription drugs. Our current patchwork is costly to our health care system, and costly in terms of the avoidable loss of lives caused by the financial barriers to necessary and life-saving medications.

In a 2015 Angus Reid Poll, 91% of Canadians (92% of Albertans) supported a National Pharmacare Plan. Today, our health care system is at the cusp of a historical expansion unmatched since the inception of Medicare. The federal government, along with their provincial counterparts, is currently in conversations as to what the implementation of a national pharmacare program would look like. It has taken decades of advocacy to reach this momentous tipping point.

Friends of Medicare supports the establishment of a single-payer national pharmacare program with universal coverage for all Canadians. Join us on January 24th to learn more about this historic campaign, and how you can get involved.

Visit the SACPA website: http://www.sacpa.ca

On Monday, July 20, 2015, the Board members and the staff of Friends of Medicare met with Health Minister Sarah Hoffman. The meeting was productive and insightful, with mutual respect and shared values characterizing the exchanges.