REMINDER/Media Advisory: National Pharmacare Town Hall Tour Comes to Moncton, St. John’s and Halifax

OTTAWA, March 21, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Canadian Labour Congress’ (CLC) national town hall tour on pharmacare arrives in St. John’s, Moncton and Halifax on March 26 and 27, giving the public an opportunity to hear from some of Canada’s leading health care experts about the importance of universal prescription drug coverage.

“Nobody should have to choose between paying for groceries and paying for the medication they need. Today, 3.5 million Canadians can’t afford their prescriptions. That’s why Canada’s unions, Canadian Doctors for Medicare, the Canadian Health Coalition and other allies are touring the country, advocating for a pharmacare plan that covers everyone, no matter their age, income or where they live or work,” said CLC President Hassan Yussuff.

Canada is the only developed country in the world with a universal health care program that doesn’t include a universal prescription drug plan. Coverage in Canada vastly differs depending on where you live. A recent survey by Angus Reid found that Atlantic Canada and British Columbia fare the worst in the country:

• 26 percent of Atlantic Canadians don’t take their medications as prescribed because they can’t afford to.
• The overall share of drug costs covered by provincial plans in the Atlantic is lower than the national average of 42 percent: New Brunswick (32 percent), Nova Scotia (37 percent), and Newfoundland and Labrador (37 percent).
• 95 percent of Atlantic Canadians agree it’s “simply not right” that so many struggle to pay for the medication they need.
• 87 percent of Atlantic Canadians support the creation of a universal pharmacare plan for Canada.

The government committed to a pathway to establishing universal pharmacare in its federal budget earlier this month, by creating an Advisory Council on the Implementation of National Pharmacare.

The CLC launched its campaign for pharmacare – online at aplanforeveryone.ca – on Labour Day last year. Since then, the CLC’s pharmacare tour has visited several communities in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario.

Moncton - A Plan for Everyone Town Hall

When:		6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m., March 26, 2018
Where:		Delta Beauséjour, 750 Main St., Moncton, NB
Who:		Larry Rousseau, CLC Executive Vice-President; Dr. Sarah Gander pediatrician and Vice-Chair, Canadian Doctors for Medicare; Mary Boyd, Chair, P.E.I. Health Coalition.
Info:		http://www.aplanforeveryone.ca/moncton

St. John's - A Plan for Everyone Town Hall

When:		6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m., March 26, 2018
Where:		Comfort Inn Airport, 106 Airport Rd, St. John's, NL
Who:		Marie Clarke Walker, CLC Secretary-Treasurer; Dr. Monika Dutt, family physician and board member, Canadian Doctors for Medicare; James Hutt, interim National Director of Policy and Advocacy for the Canadian Health Coalition.
Info:		http://www.aplanforeveryone.ca/stjohns

Halifax - A Plan for Everyone Town Hall

When:		6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m., March 27, 2018
Where:		Delta Halifax, 1990 Barrington St., Halifax, NS
Who:		Marie Clarke Walker, CLC Secretary-Treasurer; Dr. Daniel Boudreau, Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at Dalhousie University; James Hutt, interim National Director of Policy and Advocacy for the Canadian Health Coalition; Chris Parsons, Coordinator, Nova Scotia Health Coalition.
Info:		http://www.aplanforeveryone.ca/halifax

Journalists wishing to attend an event or to interview an expert before these events please contact:

Chantal St-Denis
CLC Communications
613-355-1962
Email: cstdenis@clc-ctc.ca