Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2016 Aug;12(1):18-36.

A Better Prescription: Advice for a National Strategy on Pharmaceutical Policy in Canada

Steven G Morgan  1 , Marc-André Gagnon  2 , Barbara Mintzes  3 , Joel Lexchin  4
Affiliations

A Better Prescription: Advice for a National Strategy on Pharmaceutical Policy in Canada

Steven G Morgan et al. Healthc Policy. 2016 Aug.

Abstract
in English, French

Canada needs a national strategy to fulfill its obligation to ensure universal access to necessary healthcare, including prescription drugs. A 2004 attempt at a national strategy for pharmaceutical policy failed because it lacked clear vision, logical planning and commitment from federal and provincial governments. The result of uncoordinated pharmaceutical policies in Canada has been more than a decade of poor system performance. In this essay, we present a framework for a renewed national strategy for pharmaceutical policy. Building on published research and international frameworks, we propose that pharmaceutical policies of federal, provincial and territorial governments be coordinated around a core health-focused goal. We strongly suggest policy actions be taken on four core objectives that are necessary to support the overarching health goal. If implemented, the proposed strategy would offer clear benefits to all Canadians who use medicines, federal and provincial governments and to the economy as a whole. We therefore argue that political leadership is now needed to articulate and implement such a plan on behalf of Canadians.

Le Canada doit se doter d'une stratégie nationale afin de respecter son obligation d'assurer un accès universel aux services de santé nécessaires, notamment les médicaments sur ordonnance. La tentative de 2004 en ce sens a connu l'échec en raison d'un manque de vision claire, de planification logique et d'engagement de la part des gouvernements provinciaux et fédéral. Le manque de coordination des politiques relatives aux produits pharmaceutiques au Canada a donné lieu à plus d'une décennie de faible rendement pour le système. Dans cet essai, nous proposons un cadre de travail pour le renouvellement de la stratégie nationale relative aux produits pharmaceutiques. À la lumière de recherches publiées et de cadres de travail internationaux, nous proposons que les politiques des gouvernements provinciaux, territoriaux et fédéral s'articulent autour d'un objectif de santé commun. Nous suggérons fortement que l'action politique porte sur quatre objectifs clés, nécessaires pour appuyer l'objectif de santé commun. Si elle était mise en œuvre, la stratégie proposée se traduirait par de réels avantages pour les Canadiens qui prennent des médicaments, pour les gouvernements provinciaux et fédéral ainsi que pour l'ensemble de l'économie du pays. Nous affirmons donc, pour le bien-être des Canadiens, qu'il est temps de mettre en place le leadership politique nécessaire pour articuler et mettre en œuvre un tel plan.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

FIGURE 1.
FIGURE 1.
A renewed strategy for pharmaceutical policy, guided by a clear and compelling vision with supporting policy objectives and actions
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Angus Reid Institute. 2015. Prescription Drug Access and Affordability an Issue for Nearly a Quarter of All Canadian Households. Vancouver: Angus Reid Institute.
    1. Anis A.H. 2000. “Pharmaceutical Policies in Canada: Another Example of Federal-Provincial Discord.” Canadian Medical Association Journal 162(4): 523–26. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Australia. 1999. National Medicines Policy 2000. Canberra: Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care.
    1. Australia. 2002. The National Strategy for Quality Use of Medicines. Canberra: Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing.
    1. Bach P.B. 2015. “New Math on Drug Cost-Effectiveness.” New England Journal of Medicine 373(19): 1797–99. 10.1056/NEJMp1512750. - PubMed

Publication types

MeSH terms

Substances

Grants and funding

LinkOut - more resources