CPhA Welcomes Liberal Announcement on Drug Access and Health Care Innovation

September 30, 2015 (Ottawa): The Canadian Pharmacists Association (CPhA) welcomes today’s Liberal announcement on health care and, in particular, its commitment to improving prescription drug access for Canadians and health care innovation.

Today’s announcement speaks to the need for a pan-Canadian strategy that addresses gaps in coverage between public and private systems. This will ensure Canadians have access to a stable supply of cost-effective medications and pharmacist services.

“While addressing the cost of prescription medications is important, it is only one piece of the puzzle,” said Carlo Berardi, Chair, Canadian Pharmacists Association. “A sustainable and affordable pan-Canadian drug plan cannot be achieved through addressing drug prices alone. We must also address the safe and appropriate use of medications which requires Canadians to have access to the full range of pharmacist services.”

CPhA is encouraged to see a commitment to enhancing the safety of prescription drugs. Innovative solutions, such as CPhA’s national plan for e-prescribing, would have a positive impact on patient care by reducing errors and integrating safety and alert systems when prescriptions are issued.

CPhA is also pleased to see a commitment to increase funding to support a national strategy to increase vaccination rates. With Canadian rates falling short of herd immunity, CPhA has been a leading advocate for a strengthened National Immunization Strategy. Such a strategy must take a comprehensive approach and include expanding pharmacists’ scope of practice to administer vaccines as well as creating a national immunization registry.

During this election campaign, CPhA has been a leading voice in calling upon all political parties to address the issue of gaps in drug coverage, the implementation of a national e-prescribing plan and the development of a strengthened National Immunization Strategy in their policy platforms. CPhA also launched its Pharmacare 2.0 initiative in June 2015 to reboot the pharmacare conversation from ideology to a focus on optimal patient-centred care at an affordable price.

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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