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Research

Relying on the experience of frontline nurses, the CFNU works with experts, academics and other health care stakeholders to produce evidence-based research and resources on current health care issues. CFNU’s research has focused on the need for a national pharmacare plan, the importance of safe staffing, health care financing, safe seniors’ care, intergenerational issues in the workplace and occupational health and safety issues.

The CFNU transforms research into policy and practice by advocating for evidence-based changes at the federal level and provincial level at the Council of the Federation.

CFNU’s research products include groundbreaking research reports, backgrounders, fact sheets and position statements.

Safe Hours Save Lives!
Study on safe working hours for nurses

Safe Hours Save Lives! Study on safe working hours for nurses Safe Hours Saves Lives delivers a critical examination of escalating burnout among Canadian nurses due to excessive work hours. This report underscores the dramatic increase in overtime and its impact on nurse well-being and patient safety. It draws upon data and expert insights to […]

2023 CFNU Member Survey Summary Report

2023 CFNU Member Survey Report Learn what nurses are saying about their work life in our health care system, based on a survey of nearly 5,000 nurses from across the country. Download the report

Sustaining Nursing in Canada: a set of coordinated evidence-based solutions targeted to support the nursing workforce now and into the future

Sustaining Nursing in Canada proposes a set of concrete actionable solutions to help meaningfully solve the health care staffing crisis. The Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions worked with the Canadian Health Workforce Network to present in this report the magnitude of the nursing crisis and the known solutions to address it. Authored by University of […]

November 14, 2019
pharmacare

Public poll on national pharmacare with Heart and Stroke

September 24, 2019 — According to a new poll conducted jointly by Heart & Stroke and the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions (CFNU), 93% of people in Canada feel that it’s important for everyone in Canada to have equal access to prescription drugs. The majority – 88% – also believe that it is the responsibility of […]

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March 13, 2019
pharmacare

The Big Money Club: Revealing the Players and Their Campaign to Stop Pharmacare

The Big Money Club tells the story of the outsized influence of ultra-rich actors in the pharmacare debate in Canada. These actors see dollar signs in the preservation of the current system and are funding a campaign to protect their profits. Though seemingly diverse, virtually all the opposition to pharmacare can be traced back to […]

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February 19, 2019
pharmacare

Poll: National Pharmacare and Health Care

The Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions commissioned Environics Research to conduct a national public opinion poll to determine attitudes towards national health care and prescription drug coverage issues. A total of 1,002 Canadians completed the online survey, which was conducted between January 9 and 21, 2019. The polling results confirm that Canadians want a national prescription […]

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May 1, 2018
pharmacare

Body Count: The human cost of financial barriers to prescription medications

Researched and written by the distinguished pharmaco-economist, Dr. Ruth Lopert, along with colleagues Elizabeth Docteur and Dr. Steve Morgan, this report reveals, for the first time, the estimated  body count, or yearly number of deaths and illnesses in Canada, for specific age cohorts and conditions, resulting from cost-related non-adherence to prescription medications.

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December 8, 2016
pharmacare

Down the Drain - How Canada Has Wasted $62 Billion Health Care Dollars Without Pharmacare

In December 2016, the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions released a new report titled: Down the Drain: How Canada Has Wasted $62 Billion Health Care Dollars Without Pharmacare, where noted economist Hugh Mackenzie calculates the disturbing amount Canada has wasted over the past 10 years by not implementing national pharmacare.   The report calculates the waste from […]

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May 20, 2014
pharmacare

A Roadmap to a Rational Pharmacare Policy in Canada

For over two decades, the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions (CFNU) has been advocating for a national pharmacare plan. Now, as the costs of prescription drugs continue to rise, putting pressures on a health care system that is already stretched to the limit, the CFNU is gaining some new allies. There is a growing consensus […]

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July 12, 2011
Archived pharmacare

A Comprehensive National Drug Plan

Canada is the third most expensive country in the world for brand-name drugs. Studies have shown that a National universal public Pharmacare plan would save billions of dollars for Canadians, improve health outcomes and reduce suffering. The Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions urges all candidates to support a comprehensive public national drug plan. The Canadian […]

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November 1, 2008
Archived pharmacare

Life Before Pharmacare, Canadian Health Coalition (ARCHIVED)

Archived The Canadian Health Coalition (CHC) has released a ground-breaking report entitled Life Before Pharmacare.

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May 26, 2006
Archived pharmacare

More for Less: A National Pharmacare Strategy (ARCHIVED)

Archived This report, prepared by the Canadian Health Coalition, makes a compelling case for why Canadians need a public national drug plan.

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August 11, 2005
Archived pharmacare

50 years of waiting for Pharmacare is Long Enough by Joel Lexchin, MD (ARCHIVED)

Archived This paper authored by Joel Lexchin, MD, was presented to Premiers at the August 2005 Council of the Federation meeting. In it, Lexchin argues that Pharmacare makes sense on three levels – equity, economic efficiency and improving prescribing – noting that political appears to be the only obstacle.

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