Greens say national pharmacare plan would expand coverage, save money

OTTAWA – The federal Green party is making a national pharmacare plan a key plank of its election platform.

The party says it would make affordable medicine a reality for all Canadians while saving billions of dollars.

The plan would expand and co-ordinates the patchwork of public and private plans that already provide drug insurance to 22 million Canadians.

Green party Leader Elizabeth May says the plan would ensure two million Canadians have access to prescriptive medications that they otherwise could not afford.

She says the Greens will work with all federal parties, provinces and others with a stake in health care to implement the plan — the second phase of Canada’s universal health system.

Moreover, the party says its approach would apply greater rigour to drug registration by refusing to register medications that hurt more people than they harm.

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