TORONTO - The Health Council of Canada is calling on governments to mount a renewed push for a national pharmaceuticals strategy.
The council says the tough economy means more Canadians will need help with the high costs of prescription drugs as they lose jobs and benefits.
It says governments committed in 2004 to making catastrophic drug coverage a priority, but Canadians still don't have full coverage.
Council official Dr. Alex Gillis says since the original commitment was made, governments have changed and progress has stalled.
In September 2008, says Gillis, provincial health ministers said that they couldn't move forward on catastrophic drug coverage unless the federal government was willing to take leadership and share costs.
Council CEO John Abbott says the impasse needs to be resolved because catastrophic drug coverage is a critical social safety net and will become even more important in the current economy.
