Why Canada needs Universal Pharmacare
We have waited long enough
Universal pharmacare has been the missing piece of Canada's public health care system for generations. While the Pharmacare Act became law in 2024 because New Democrats made it a condition of supporting the previous Parliament, progress has slowed dramatically. Canada remains the only country with universal public health care that still excludes many medically necessary prescription medications from universal coverage.
Universal pharmacare saves money
Canadians pay some of the highest prescription drug prices anywhere in the world. A single public pharmacare program would allow Canada to negotiate lower prices on behalf of everyone, reducing costs for families, employers, and governments while making our health care system more efficient.
Universal pharmacare saves lives
Too many Canadians become sicker because they cannot afford the medicines prescribed by their doctor. Every year, avoidable illness, hospitalizations, and even premature deaths occur because cost stands between patients and the medications they need.
Millions of Canadians still struggle to afford prescriptions
Even people with insurance often face deductibles, co-payments, annual limits, or medications that simply are not covered. Many others have no prescription drug coverage at all. No one should have to ration medication because they cannot afford it.
A national drug list means better care
A scientifically developed national formulary would ensure Canadians receive medications based on evidence, safety, and effectiveness, not on commercial interests or where they happen to live. Public purchasing can also encourage better value while supporting high quality patient care.
Patchwork coverage leaves Canadians behind
Today, thousands of public and private drug plans create unnecessary complexity and unequal access across Canada. Coverage often depends on your employer, your age, or your province. Universal, single-payer pharmacare would ensure every Canadian has equitable access to medically necessary prescription medications.
The NDP delivered the first step
For decades, governments talked about pharmacare. The NDP delivered action.
In the previous Parliament, New Democrats used their influence to secure passage of Canada's first Pharmacare Act, opening the door to universal public drug coverage and the first federal agreements with provinces.
Now it's time to finish the job. Every province should join. Every Canadian should be covered.
What Liberals are saying about Pharmacare:
“[We] absolutely have to keep in place the progress that the government has made on crucial things such as child care, on dental care and pharmacare, because that helps those who are most vulnerable.”
- Mark Carney, future Prime Minister, 2025 Liberal Leadership Race, February 25, 2025
“The Government will protect the programs that are already saving families thousands of dollars every year. These include child care and pharmacare.”
- Liberal Government’s Speech from the Throne, read by His Majesty King Charles III, May 27, 2025
“We will protect and expand the programs that are saving Canadian families thousands of dollars every year. These include pharmacare and child care. We will expand the Canadian dental care plan to cover eight million Canadians, saving them more than $800 per year.”
- Prime Minister Mark Carney, reply to Speech from the Throne, May 29, 2025
“As a former pharmacist, I understand how vital it is for Albertans to have access to the medications they need. If I’m elected as your MP for Edmonton Centre I will fight hard to make sure that all Albertans have access to the Liberal national pharmacare program.”
- Eleanor Olszewski, then-Liberal candidate, now Cabinet Minister, 2025 Federal Election, April 23, 2025
“We will ensure the future sustainability of programs that have already saved families thousands of dollars a year. This includes child care and pharmacare.”
- Corey Hogan, Calgary Confederation (Alberta), May 27, 2025
“Our government will always protect Canada's health care system, including pharmacare and dental care. These are clear commitments, and we will always keep them. We are continuing to work with all provinces and territories to see how we can best support them to strengthen the health care system, including pharmacare.”
- Maggie Chi, Don Valley North (Ontario), February 13, 2026
“Mr. Speaker, let us think about the dental care program, pharmacare, the school food program, the increase to old age security and the Canada child benefit. Canada is always there to help the less fortunate, those who need a hand to make ends meet.”
- Steven MacKinnon, Gatineau (Quebec), May 4, 2026
“The government will also continue to protect the programs that are already saving families thousands of dollars every year. Those include child care, pharmacare, dental care and the Canada child benefit, which are saving families thousands, and which the Conservatives voted against.”
- Wayne Long, Saint John—Kennebecasis (New Brunswick), June 9, 2025
"We will continue protecting child care, dental care and pharmacare to maintain these essential services so many Canadians depend on."
- Alana Hirtle, Cumberland-Colchester (Nova Scotia), April 14, 2026
"We are maintaining key programs, such as child care, pharmacare and the new dental care plan, which now helps millions of Canadians, including thousands of people in Cardigan."
- Kent MacDonald, Cardigan (PEI), June 2, 2025
"On this side of the House, we are about leaving money in people's pockets. Pharmacare is still in the budget. Dental care is in the budget. The school food program is still in the budget."
- Philip Earle, Labrador (Newfoundland and Labrador), November 6, 2025
Gord and the NDP on Pharmacare:
“My colleague from Calgary Nose Hill talked about courage, and I really want to emphasize that. He (the former Liberal MP for Beaches-East York) stood with the NDP well before the supply and confidence agreement on pharmacare. I am disappointed that he does not get to see it exercised in his home province. I hope the government will take that to heart.”
- Gord Johns, Courtenay-Alberni (British Columbia), June 9, 2026
“Mr. Speaker, I have a lot of respect for my colleague the member for Calgary Centre, despite our differences. I also have respect for my colleague the member for Calgary Confederation, who on May 27, 2025, in the House said, ‘We will ensure the future sustainability of programs that have already saved families thousands of dollars a year. This includes child care and pharmacare.’
I am going to talk about pharmacare, because right now in Alberta there is not a pharmacare plan, something we fought really hard for as New Democrats. Does my colleague think that people in Alberta's not having diabetes medicine or birth control is the responsibility, or blame, of his premier, Danielle Smith, or is it the Prime Minister's fault?”
- Gord Johns, Courtenay-Alberni (British Columbia), June 2, 2026
“Mr. Speaker, first I want to congratulate my colleague on her election. She has been a strong proponent of a universal public pharmacare plan. She has long advocated and argued that a national single-payer pharmacare program would actually save money, but now she represents a riding in a province that does not have a pharmacare deal.
Can New Democrats, the people of Ontario and the people of her riding count on her to be a champion, to force her government to get to the table with Ontario and deliver on the promise of a national pharmacare plan so those people in Ontario can actually get access to it?”
- Gord Johns, Courtenay-Alberni (British Columbia), May 6, 2026
“While I hate to do this, I must mention that this inaction comes while many Liberal MPs are bragging about a national pharmacare program that their own constituents cannot even access. In Newfoundland and Labrador, for example, the provincial health minister said that the federal Liberal government has closed the door on negotiations. Meanwhile, the Liberal MP for Labrador defends pharmacare as putting money back in Canadians' pockets. On Prince Edward Island, the federal government has moved slowly, and its provincial health minister says that the federal government has told them that pharmacare funds will expire in 2029 and will not be renewed.”
- Gord Johns, Courtenay-Alberni (British Columbia), April 29, 2026
“The Liberals say it takes time, but provinces like Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia are ready now, and the federal government is refusing to negotiate. We just heard the parliamentary secretary say it is too expensive, but pharmacare actually saves money for families and for provinces. The real cost is forcing Canadians to go without the medicine they need.
Let us be clear. Mentioning pharmacare once in a major economic update is not a plan. It is a signal that the government is walking away from its promise, and it is not nation building.”
- Gord Johns, Courtenay-Alberni (British Columbia), April 29, 2026
“Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister cannot go on TV one day and claim that pharmacare is a nation-building program for all Canadians, and the next day allow entire provinces to be excluded.
Newfoundland and Labrador's health minister says that the federal government has closed the door on negotiations. Right now, where one lives determines whether one can access essential medications. People are being left out altogether. That is not a national program. It is patchwork.
Why is this government abandoning Newfoundland and Labrador and so many other provinces and territories while claiming that pharmacare is for all Canadians?”
- Gord Johns, Courtenay-Alberni (British Columbia), April 28, 2026
“Mr. Speaker, we keep asking the Liberal government when pharmacare will expand, and we cannot get a straight answer from the Minister of Health.
British Columbia's pharmacare agreement starts next week, because New Democrats pushed for it and because the B.C. NDP moved quickly. Families in other provinces are still waiting because the Liberal government is not negotiating. This means access to life-saving medicine depends on someone's postal code.
When will the Minister of Health finally start negotiating so Canadians can access life-saving medicine no matter where they live?”
- Gord Johns, Courtenay-Alberni (British Columbia), February 23, 2026
“Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister says he is committed to pharmacare, but today only three provinces and one territory are covered. That is about 17% of all Canadians. A commitment to pharmacare should mean access for Canadians no matter where they live. Right now, access to medicine depends on one's postal code. It is not nation building when we give only certain provinces and territories access to medicine.
Will the Prime Minister commit today to expanding pharmacare to every province and territory that wants in so Canadians are not treated differently based on where they live?”
- Gord Johns, Courtenay-Alberni (British Columbia), February 13, 2026
“These are things that need to be addressed, and the government has failed to do that. There are many things missing. Pharmacare was mentioned [in federal Budget 2025-26], but there is no commitment, despite the fact that the Pharmacare Act passed in the House. However, the Liberals still tout the pharmacare plan that they were going to deliver.”
- Gord Johns, Courtenay-Alberni (British Columbia), November 27, 2025