A Prescription For Better Health, Better Care and Better Value

August 17, 2015 (Ottawa): Today the Canadian Pharmacists Association (CPhA) launched its election platform, “A Prescription for Better Health, Better Care and Better Value,” calling on federal political parties and candidates to commit to addressing the key health care concerns of Canadians in the areas of access, safety and innovation.

Canadians deserve a health care system that delivers high-quality and value for their tax dollar. CPhA’s 2015 federal election platform identifies three priorities to achieve this goal:

• Pan-Canadian Pharmacare: Too many Canadians don’t have access to the medications and pharmacy services they need to be healthy. This not only results in poor health, it also leads to higher health care costs over the long-term.  Canada needs a pan-Canadian pharmacare program focused on addressing the coverage gaps between public and private systems, protecting Canadians from undue financial hardship, guaranteeing access to a stable supply of clinically and cost-effective medications and providing comprehensive access to pharmacist and pharmacy services.
• National Plan for E-prescribing: Patient safety is the number one priority of Canadian pharmacists. The lack of a harmonized e-prescribing system facilitates drug misuse and continues to put the health and safety of Canadians at risk. A national plan for e-prescribing would address this in a way that ensures Canadians’ prescription information can be shared between relevant health providers, while respecting patient privacy and confidentiality.
• Enhanced National Immunization Strategy: Canada’s pharmacists firmly believe, and evidence-based science has proven, that immunization is the safest, most effective way to prevent, control and eliminate vaccine-preventable diseases. The evidence is clear: vaccination saves lives. An effective immunization strategy should promote increasing immunization rates through a comprehensive approach that includes further expanding pharmacists’ scope of practice to administer vaccines, and the creation of a national immunization registry.

“Our vision is better health, better care and better value,” said Carlo Berardi, Chair, Canadian Pharmacists Association. “Increasing access to medication, improving patient safety and ensuring Canada is leading the pack on immunization rates will go a long way towards ensuring the sustainability and effectiveness of our health care system.”

As the most accessible health care provider in Canada today, pharmacists are well placed to address challenges related to sustainability, access, drug safety and quality of care. Over the past decade, there has been a significant increase in pharmacists’ scope of practice and increased recognition as health care providers. Continued utilization and enhancement of the role of pharmacists will ensure Canadians have access to the high-quality, professional care which pharmacists are providing in every community across Canada.

“Pharmacists are the solution to these key challenges facing our health care system,” said Perry Eisenschmid, CEO, Canadian Pharmacists Association. “By following our prescription, federal politicians will provide Canada’s 39,000 pharmacists with the tools to deliver more innovative, accessible and sustainable health care to all Canadians.”

CPhA will be advocating for these three recommendations throughout Election 2015 and is encouraging Canadians to discuss these issues with their local candidates. For more information on CPhA’s key recommendations and to easily contact your local candidate, visit www.pharmacists.ca/advocacy/federal-election/.  

About the Canadian Pharmacists Association

The Canadian Pharmacists Association (CPhA) is the uniting national voice of pharmacy and the pharmacist profession in Canada. As pharmacists undertake an enhanced role in the delivery of health care services, CPhA ensures that the profession is recognized as a national leader in health care, influencing the policies, programs, budgets and initiatives affecting the profession and the health of Canadians. More information is available at www.pharmacists.ca.

For more information, please contact:

Mark McCondach
Director of Communications
Canadian Pharmacists Association
mmccondach@pharmacists.ca
(613) 523-7877 Ext. 285