Pharmacare program a real need for Canadians says retiree leader

STELLARTON - Canadians deserve a national pharmacare plan, says the president of the Nova Scotia Federation of Union Retirees.
Speaking at the Heather Hotel in Stellarton on Wednesday, Everett Baker says the cost of prescription drugs has rapidly become the second-highest expense to Medicare. A national pharmacare program, similar to the programs already administered in countries like Australia and New Zealand, would help lessen these costs, he says.
A fully publicly funded national plan would provide equal access to prescription drugs, Baker says. Based on research by the Canadian Health Coalition, such a plan could be phased in, with the federal government increasing its support of the costs of prescription drugs to 25 per cent, and the provincial governments raising their support to 50 per cent of the total costs, Baker says. The remaining 25 per cent would be covered by an employer-based premium, he adds.
But he says it's necessary to get feedback from concerned people in communities like New Glasgow if a national pharmacare plan is going to move forward.
"We are the only country in the G8 that doesn't have a national pharmacare plan, and we can afford it. In fact, we can't afford not to (have one)," Baker says.
Barbara Hodgkins, a resident of Westville, one of about a dozen people who attended the meeting, says she feels such a program needs to be in place.
"I can handle the cost of my prescriptions now, but you never know what will happen down the road," she said. "Not only the rich should be able to afford drugs."
No one should have to make sacrifices to pay for their prescriptions, she says. "Am I going to have a cold house, or am I going to pay for my pills?" Hodgkins adds. "That's a question no one wants, or should have to face."
Another person at the meeting, Steve Kirincich, a 63-year-old retired school administrator from Stellarton, says he's becoming increasingly concerned about how much he and his wife will be paying for their prescriptions in a few years.
"My medical and dental coverage will terminate when I turn 65," he says.
He pays $165 a year on prescription pills now, and he estimates in two years that will increase to close to $900 per year. That may not seem like much, he says, but it can be for those who are on a fixed income. He says a national plan is needed to absorb these costs.
Wednesday's meeting was held as the Canadian Health Coalition is currently launching its campaign for a national pharmacare plan. The coalition is collecting personal stories from people across the nation in order to demonstrate the need for such a plan.