Mike Kennedy’s 2011 Federal Election Blog – Part 6
New Democrats to focus on “making medicines more affordable”
Dear One & All,
Jack Layton’s New Democrats were the last party to unveil their 2011 election platform, Giving Your Family a Break: Practical First Steps. The NDP indicates that it will "work with the provinces and territories to save Canadians money on the cost of their prescription medications…" and contains a number of vaguely-worded pledges surrounding how these savings will be achieved.
Highlights of the NDP platform on the subject of national catastrophic drug coverage include "using bargaining power in pharmaceutical purchases”, "more aggressive price review" and "cutting administrative costs through public administration". What the platform doesn’t provide is detail as to how these measures will be achieved; however, a number of NDP candidates weighed in via Twitter to provide their views on national catastrophic drug coverage:
"We are looking at national bulk buying and reform of patent laws to lower drug prices" – James McLaren, NDP Candidate for Ottawa South, via Twitter
Marc Laferriere, NDP Candidate for Brant, indicated via Twitter that "MP Megan Leslie has been working on this. I had her in #brantford to discuss it." (See Megan in action in the House on the issue: http://ow.ly/4xcH9)
"Introducing national legislation for a federal funded drug plan, which would reduce the cost of medication" – Jagmeet Singh, NDP Candidate for Bramalea/ Gore/Malton via Twitter
The NDP, like the Green Party, appear to be placing focus an increasingly evidence-based model for prescription of drugs, and both advocate strongly for changes to patent laws that would allow for generic drugs to reach the market sooner. Both parties fall short on the commitment to a national catastrophic drug plan and may dilute action by immersing a drug plan within the large-scale, messy pharmacare reform they propose – and which has stalled federal action for over a decade.
What do you think about the New Democrat’s platform as it relates to catastrophic drug coverage? Tell us via Twitter or Facebook.
Click below to read previous blog postings
Too many drug plans – not enough political leadership>/a>
As the election approaches, Canadians can now make a choice on a National Catastrophic Drug Coverage plan
Election 2011 – will we vote?
Mike Kennedy’s 2011 Federal Election Blog – Part 7: The Candidates Speak-Up
Mike Kennedy’s 2011 Federal Election Blog – Part 6
Mike Kennedy’s 2011 Federal Election Blog – Part 5
Mike Kennedy’s 2011 Federal Election Blog – Part 4
Leaders Debate Special
Mike Kennedy’s 2011 Federal Election Blog – Part 3
Mike Kennedy’s 2011 Federal Election Blog – Part 2
Have your say in next week’s federal election leaders’ debates
Mike Kennedy’s 2011 Federal Election Blog – Part 1
Cancer and the Federal Election:
