As Ottawa and the provinces debate the scope of a national drug coverage

programme, CBC Radio asked AIMS President Brian Lee Crowley to comment

on whether a national Pharmacare programme is a good idea. A nationally

recognised expert on health care policy, Crowley pointed out that 85% of

Canadian already have drug coverage, that the 15% who are uninsured

ought to be the priority, that a totally public and universal national

programme is estimated to cost $9-11 billion annually, which is likely

to be unaffordable, and that the savings that can be achieved by “bulk

purchasing” through a single national agency are rather exaggerated.

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