ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO
Official Record of Debate
(Hansard)
PHARMACARE
June 27, 2001
Mr Ted Arnott (Waterloo-Wellington): On May 3, I raised a question with the Minister of Health regarding the federal Liberals' 1997 red book promise to introduce a national pharmacare program, or universal coverage for medically necessary drugs. There have been two federal elections since this promise was made and there has been no follow-up from the government of Canada, as was confirmed by the minister's response to my question.
I wrote to the Prime Minister on this subject about four months ago, and I have received no meaningful reply to my request for a status report, just an acknowledgement from an assistant that my letter had been received.
Meanwhile, the Ontario government has been busy making a wide range of prescription drugs available to meet the needs of patients in this province. Since 1995, the Ontario drug benefit program has been expanded to offer 1,216 more drug products, bringing the total to 3,100 products, helping seniors and people on social assistance obtain the medicine prescribed by their doctors. Spending on the Ontario drug benefit program has risen by almost 70% since 1995, up from $1 billion to $1.8 billion this year.
Ontario has managed to put these resources where they're needed, despite federal cutbacks to our health care funding. Federal support for health care has slipped from 18 cents on the dollar in 1994-95 to a mere 13 cents now. The need to reverse the federal cuts and introduce an escalator clause to increase federal support to keep pace with rising costs for health care was supported by members from all three parties in this House when my private member's resolution passed unanimously last year.
The Premier is continuing that call for an escalator clause by asking for an immediate commitment from the government of Canada to cover 50% of the increasing costs for health care. I hope all members will continue to support this initiative.
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