Canadians Less Concerned About Pharmacare Than Other Health-Care Issues: Study

Pharmacist Denis Boissinot checks a bottle on a shelf at his pharmacy in Quebec City in this file photo. The Canadian Press/Jacques Boissinot

Canadians largely don’t consider the cost of prescription drugs to be a significant issue, prioritizing other health-care concerns instead, indicates research conducted in mid-2023 for the Privy Council Office (PCO). This revelation came ahead of the federal cabinet’s decision to backtrack on a commitment made to NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh to enact a pharmacare bill by the end of 2023.

Two reports prepared for the PCO based on May and June 2023 focus group findings suggest a general perception that prescription drugs in Canada are affordable for most, largely due to employer coverage or tax return claims, according to Blacklock’s Reporter in an article on Jan. 4.

The public opinion research noted a significant reluctance among participants to support a national pharmacare program if it would lead to new or higher taxes or increase the federal deficit. The pharmacare-related research was conducted with focus groups in British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec, and New Brunswick.

This study was part of an $814,741 contract awarded to Toronto-based polling firm The Strategic Counsel to conduct the “Continuous Qualitative Data Collection of Canadians’ Views.” The contract included engagement with focus groups across the country on a variety of other topics as well, such as social media, online safety, housing, and the cost of living.

The reports, dated June 12 and July 10, 2023, reveal a nuanced understanding of the country’s health-care priorities among Canadians, highlighted just months before the cabinet went back on the pharmacare bill agreement with Mr. Singh.

Under the 2022 supply and confidence agreement between the NDP and the Liberals, Mr. Singh had agreed to support the Liberal cabinet until Parliament rises in June 2025, contingent on the fulfillment of promises, including the pharmacare bill.

“It’s part of our agreement, so if they didn’t do that they would be breaking the deal,” Mr. Singh said at the time.

Health Minister Mark Holland, addressing the situation in late November 2023, commented that the government is taking it “one day at a time,” signalling a cautious approach amid the controversy.

Health-Care Challenges

Meanwhile, the PCO’s research underscores a broader sentiment among Canadians, who appear to prioritize a spectrum of health issues over the introduction of universal public prescription drug insurance.

“Asked to identify the biggest challenges related to health care in need of further attention from the Government of Canada, participants identified a wide range of issues,” wrote the researchers.

“These included long wait times in accessing emergency care, a perceived shortage of doctors and nurses, a lack of family doctors, increased burnout among medical professionals, and a widespread dearth of mental health services,” stated the June 12, 2023, report.

The July 10, 2023, report also pointed to “a lack of home care options for the aging population, a limited availability of virtual care options, and a perceived lack of prevention-based medicine.”

A Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) report published in August 2023 reaffirmed the issues raised by the PCO research participants. It also added the need to modernize health-care information systems and digital tools for the secure sharing of electronic health information.

“All levels of government are united in their recognition of the importance of creating a robust health information system as the foundation for transforming health care,” the CIHI report states.