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News & Events

February 29, 2024
Media Release Pharmacare

Canada’s nurses unions celebrate introduction of national pharmacare program

Silas: If implemented correctly, the foundation laid today will save countless lives. February 29, 2024 (Ottawa, ON) – “Nurses and health care workers have long called for a national pharmacare program to ensure everyone in Canada has access to the medication they need. Today we celebrate a victory that has been years in the making,” […]

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February 28, 2024
Pharmacare Statement

‘Finally, our government is getting the prescription right’ – CFNU President Linda Silas

Statement on upcoming pharmacare legislation Together, we’re making history. The Liberals and NDP are set to introduce legislation that lays the foundation for a national pharmacare program. This is our win. For nurses, patients and everyone in Canada. After nearly 40 years of nurses’ and health care workers’ tireless advocacy, our governments are finally getting […]

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September 18, 2023
Media Release Pharmacare

Passing pharmacare legislation must be top priority for returning parliamentarians

Silas: Canadians want pharmacare, but we need the full dose. September 18, 2023 (Ottawa, ON) – The Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions (CFNU) along with allied health and labour organizations are calling on the federal government to ensure its impending pharmacare legislation works to establish a universal, comprehensive and public pharmacare program. This recommendation echoes […]

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March 22, 2022
Child Care Health Human Resources Pharmacare

Canada’s nurses applaud progressive commitments in Liberal-NDP agreement

The Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions (CFNU) is applauding the commitments toward a national universal public pharmacare program, dental care, hiring additional doctors and nurses, mental health, long-term care, child care, a just transition and long-overdue supports for Indigenous peoples as part of a confidence-and-supply agreement between the Liberal government and the NDP. “These progressive […]

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February 8, 2022
COVID-19 Media Release Pharmacare

Nurses and Doctors call for immediate action on pharmacare to help alleviate pressure on hospitals already at their limit

February 8, 2022 (OTTAWA, ON) – As another surge of COVID-19 and a crushing health worker shortage once again push our nation’s hospitals to the brink, Canada’s doctors and nurses are calling attention to the need for national pharmacare. Had the federal government followed the advice it received from its own Advisory Council on the […]

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December 8, 2021
Media Release Pharmacare

Liberal government must move forward on pharmacare

Liberal government must move forward on pharmacare, say nurses and advocates December 8, 2021 (OTTAWA, ON) – The Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions, along with numerous civil society organizations, is calling on the Liberal government to fulfill previous commitments to introduce a universal pharmacare program by including it in the Economic and Fiscal Update and […]

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August 25, 2021
Blog Pharmacare

Op-ed - No more excuses: pharmacare now

The following opinion editorial first appeared in The Province on August 25, 2021. No more excuses: pharmacare now By Steve Morgan and Linda Silas Nearly a quarter century ago, the federal government hosted a conference on national pharmacare in Saskatoon – the birthplace of Canadian medicare. The meeting was extraordinarily frustrating to delegates who anticipated […]

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August 14, 2021
Blog Pharmacare

Op-ed: All parties in this pandemic election should agree on one big issue – national pharmacare

The following opinion editorial was published by the Canadian Labour Congress and first appeared in the National Newswatch on August 14, 2021. All parties in this pandemic election should agree on one big issue – national pharmacare By Beatrice Bruske, Doug Roth and Linda Silas On August 11th, the federal and Prince Edward Island governments signed an […]

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April 19, 2021
Child Care COVID-19 Federal Budget Long-term care Media Release Pharmacare

Budget 2021 falls short for nurses – from pharmacare to health transfers

April 19, 2021 (Ottawa, ON) – After over two years without a full accounting of federal spending, the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions (CFNU) was disappointed by today’s release of Budget 2021. As we continue to grapple with another wave of COVID-19, the CFNU looked to the federal government to continue providing significant investments in […]

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February 24, 2021
Media Release Pharmacare

Canada’s nurses frustrated by rejection of national pharmacare bill

MEDIA RELEASE February 24, 2021 (OTTAWA, ON) – The Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions (CFNU) expressed disappointment and frustration at the outcome of today’s vote on Bill C-213, An Act to Enact the Canada Pharmacare Act. Liberal, Conservative and Bloc Members of Parliament rejected the private member’s bill, introduced by New Westminster-Burnaby MP and NDP House Leader, […]

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