For our last webinar of 2018, we hosted an engaging discussion on the updates in National Pharmacare with panelists Bill Dempster, CEO of 3Sixty Public Affairs and Louse Binder, Health Policy Consultant at Save Your Skin Foundation.

1. What's Happened and Where
Are We Headed?
Taking Stock on National Pharmacare
Canadian Cancer Survivor Network
Webinar
December 13, 2018
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

2. Today’s speakers
2
Louise Binder
Health Policy Consultant
Save Your Skin Foundation
Bill Dempster
CEO
3Sixty Public Affairs

3. Pharmacare in Canada – a few facts
• Majority of Canadians have access to drug insurance through private or public
plans, or both (there is overlap)
• All Canadians have access to some form of catastrophic drug coverage though
the medicine must be on the provincial formulary to obtain reimbursement
• Main issue in the national pharmacare discussion is who should provide “first
dollar” or primary coverage, what does it cover (the formulary), who pays for the
coverage, and what part of the coverage is the responsibility of the patient
(deductibles, premiums, co-pays and sometimes a cap)
• According to the Conference Board of Canada out of the 37 million Canadians:
• More than 25.6 million are eligible for a public drug program
• Nearly 22.5 million are enrolled in at least one private drug plan
• Approx. 35.5 million Canadians are eligible for one form of insurance
coverage

4. “Uninsured” Canadians all in Ontario and Newfoundland
<25
25-64
65+
All ages
3.2%
0.0%
0.3%
1.8%
Insurance Gap, Canada and Provinces
614,700
45,100
(4.4%)
(8.5%)
(% of population uninsured in orange)
Proportion of Uninsured Population, by Age Group
Note: Analysis is based on 2016 data. Results are estimated with the introduction of OHIP+ in Ontario on Jan. 1, 2018.
Source: The Conference Board of Canada.
Uninsured
Canadians:
659,800

5. Of course, as it is often, cancer is different
• Many cancer treatments are
covered through hospital
budgets or cancer agencies
• But for some provinces,
there is a bigger gap and
discrepancy between
infused drugs taken in
hospitals and oral “take-
home” drugs
• Visit:
www.cancertaintyforall.ca
for more information!

6. On March 21, 2018, the
Standing Committee on Health
adopted a report entitled
Pharmacare Now: Prescription
Medicine Coverage for all
Canadians.
Jan. 2018
Ontario Health Minister
Eric Hoskins to chair
newly created federal
pharmacare committee
Hoskins resigns as provincial
health minister
Feb 26, 2018
April 28, 2017
Free Prescription
Medications for
Children and Youth
Through OHIP+
Government of
Canada launches
Advisory Council on
the Implementation of
National Pharmacare
June 20, 2018
Ford Government
Making OHIP+ More
Cost-Effective
June 30, 2018
National pharmacare gaining momentum…
Feb. 2018 Mar. 2018 Apr. 2018
Jun. 2018 Jun. 2018 Mar. 2019Dec. 2018
Ford government’s
changes to OHIP+ slated
to be implemented
On Dec. 10, 2018, the
finance committee tabled its
Pre-Budget Consultations
Report in Advance of the
2019 Budget
Recommendation 2
That the Government of Canada amend the
Canada Health Act to include drugs
prescribed by a licensed health care
practitioner and dispensed outside of
hospitals in accordance with a common
voluntary national formulary, as part of the
definition of an “insured health service”
under the Act.
Recommendation 63
Build on the existing drug coverage enjoyed
by millions of Canadians and follow a close-
the-gap approach to pharmacare to ensure
that all Canadians have access to
prescription drug coverage, in addition to
examining ways to provide catastrophic drug
coverage to Canadians.

7. …with Ottawa setting the stage for a 2019 election promise
Changes to pan-Canadian
Health Organizations
Changes to
PMPRB framework
Health Minister’s Mandate
• As Minister of Health… work with PTs to make prescription drugs more
affordable… improve access to necessary prescription medications… join
with PT gov’ts to buy drugs in bulk, reducing the cost Canadian
governments pay for these drugs, making them more affordable for
Canadians, and exploring the need for a national formulary…Ginette Petitpas Taylor
Minister of Health
Health Canada
regulatory modernization

8. Provincial political dynamics have shifted
AB election
< May 31, 2019
BC election
May 2021
(Possibly earlier!)
SK election
Nov 2, 2020
MB election
Oct 6, 2020
NL election
Oct 8, 2019
PEI election
Oct 7, 2019
NB election
Oct. 2022
(Possibly earlier!)
NS election
2021
FED election
Oct 21, 2019
ON election
June 9, 2022
QC election
Oct. 3, 2022NEXT
ELECTION!

9. Advisory Council Members & Timeline
Eric Hoskins
Chair
Mia Homsy
Vice-Chair
Dr. Nadine
Caron
Vincent
Dumez
Camille
Orridge
Diana
Whalen
John
Wright
Oct. 2019
Federal
election
Jun. 2019
Federal
advisory
council report
Sep. 2018
Submissions to
advisory council
Jun. 2018
Creation of national
pharmacare advisory
council
Advisory
council’s
cross-country
consultations
2020-2021
Potential FPT
discussions
PHARMACARE TIMELINE
Dec. 2018
Federal advisory
council interim
report

10. Two potential approaches for national pharmacare
Single / first public payer Targeted approach
Canadian Citizens
NATIONAL PHARMACARE
exp. xx/xx/xxxx

11. PROBLEMS BARRIERS REALITY
Louise Binder
Health Policy Consultant
louise.binder49@gmail.com
Save Your Skin Foundation
www.saveyourskin.ca

12. The
5 Es
Equality
EquitabilityElections
Ease of
AdministrationEconomics
(past and
forthcoming)
1
2
34
5

13. Questions
1. What are you hearing from
patients?
2. What would you like to see the
Advisory Council recommend?
3. What enhancements would you
like public drug programs to make?
4. Are there links to other F/P/T initiatives
that might impact what we see in a
national pharmacare program?

14. Discussion

15. Canadian Cancer Survivor Network
Contact Info
Canadian Cancer Survivor Network
1750 Courtwood Crescent, Suite 210
Ottawa, ON K2C 2B5
Telephone / Téléphone : 613-898-1871
E-mail jmanthorne@survivornet.ca or mforrest@survivornet.ca
Web site www.survivornet.ca
Instagram: @survivornet_ca
Twitter: @survivornetca
Facebook: www.facebook.com/CanadianSurvivorNet
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/survivornetwork/