CPhA welcomes Task Force report and calls for pharmacists to help shape implementation
July 24, 2026 (Ottawa): The Canadian Pharmacists Association (CPhA) welcomes the Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences Sector Task Force's final report and its recognition that Canada must take bold action to strengthen access to medications, improve pharmaceutical sovereignty and build a more resilient pharmaceutical system.
CPhA was pleased to provide a submission to the Task Force co-chairs and is encouraged to see recommendations that support faster access to medicines, stronger supply resilience, modernized decision-making and greater coordination across Canada's pharmaceutical system.
“This report recognizes that strengthening Canada's pharmaceutical system will require coordinated action across governments, regulators, industry and the broader health system," said Glen Doucet, CEO, CPhA. “Pharmacists are essential to translating pharmaceutical policy into patient care. Every day, they help patients access medications, manage drug shortages, optimize medication use and ensure continuity of care in communities across Canada.”
As the Government of Canada considers the Task Force's recommendations, CPhA believes pharmacists — and the organizations representing them — should be actively involved in the implementation work. Frontline pharmacy experience will be critical to translating policy into meaningful improvements in patient access, health system performance and pharmaceutical system resilience.
CPhA welcomes the report's emphasis on:
- improving timely patient access to medications;
- strengthening pharmaceutical sovereignty and supply resilience;
- modernizing health system decision-making; and
- creating a more coordinated national approach to Canada's pharmaceutical system.
These priorities align with CPhA's ongoing advocacy to improve medication access, strengthen Canada's pharmaceutical supply chain and ensure pharmacists are fully engaged in building a more resilient health system.
CPhA encourages the Government of Canada to include pharmacists and the organizations representing them in the implementation teams established to advance the Task Force's recommendations. We look forward to working with governments and health system partners to translate the report into practical solutions that improve patient care and strengthen Canada's pharmaceutical system.
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.
For more information, please contact:
Tyler Gogo
Senior Manager, Communications
Canadian Pharmacists Association
tgogo@pharmacists.ca
613-293-7223