The NDP has made a commitment to create Ontario’s first universal Pharmacare program.
One in four Ontarians doesn’t take their medication because of cost, and 2.2 million Ontarians have no prescription drug coverage at all. That number is expected to get worse as unstable and non-traditional work grows in Ontario says NDP Health critic France Gélinas.
‘’Our Pharmacare program would start by covering the 125 most common drugs – medications like asthma inhalers, birth control and blood pressure medication,’’ said Gélinas. "The cost is estimated by the NDP and experts not to exceed $475 million – or one-third of one per cent of the provincial budget.
“When I think of the people who leave their doctor’s office with a prescription that they’ll never be able to fill, it’s clear to me we can’t afford not to do this,” said Gélinas. “When I think of the number of patients who end up in our already-overcrowded hospitals because they couldn’t afford to take their medication, I know we can’t afford to wait for a national Pharmacare plan. And when I think of the stress families face as costs pile up - costs like housing, hydro and medication - while Premier Wynne watches; I know this should be a priority."
