February 24, 2020 (OTTAWA, ON) – On behalf of 200,000 nurses across the country, the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions is applauding the NDP for today’s announcement that they will introduce a bill to implement pharmacare across Canada. Nurses are calling on Prime Minister Trudeau to support the NDP’s bill and create a national single-payer pharmacare program for all.
“Nurses applaud the NDP and leader Jagmeet Singh for their bill to create a Canada Pharmacare Act, a long-overdue and historic measure that would alleviate the suffering of countless families across our country who struggle to afford their medications,” said Linda Silas, president of the CFNU.
The NDP’s bill is based on the recommendations of the landmark report by Dr. Eric Hoskins’ Advisory Council and is modelled on the Canada Health Act. It would legally enshrine the core principles of Canada’s medicare for prescription drug coverage: universality, comprehensiveness, accessibility, portability and public administration.
The CFNU and more than 150 national and provincial organizations previously signed a statement calling on Trudeau to implement national pharmacare.
Concluded Silas: “Building Canadian medicare required historic unity across party lines, and we need nothing less to create national pharmacare. Nurses call on Prime Minister Trudeau, and all federal parties, to unite behind the NDP’s pharmacare bill and fix the fatal flaw in our public health coverage.”
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To arrange an interview with Linda Silas, please contact:
Lauren Snowball, lsnowball@nursesunions.ca, 613-868-5702 (English)
Ben René, brene@nursesunions.ca, 613-406-5962 (French)
The CFNU is Canada’s largest nurses’ organization, representing nearly 200,000 nurses and student nurses, and advocating on key health priorities and federal engagement in public health care. nursesunions.ca