A staggering 3.4 million Canadians (11 per cent!) can’t afford their medications! While some 7.5 million – nearly a quarter of the adult population – are un- or under-insured.
Now more than ever, we need public, universal, single-payer pharmacare. The extreme influence that pharmaceutical and insurance lobbyists have in Ottawa has never been more egregious, and the cost of everything is steadily climbing, making prescription medications out of reach for a growing number of people in Canada. Sky-high drug prices are taking billions from our hospitals, at a time when we need to massively re-invest to save public health care.
Pharmacare is the antidote to privatization: we must defend and expand our health care system against growing corporate influence trying to make profit from care. The Council of Canadians and partners are hosting town hall events to mobilize people in support of pharmacare, and to put pressure on MPs to listen to people, not major industry lobbyists.
In Ontario, there are six town halls happening now:
- Toronto, May 15, 7-9 PM, Davenport-Perth Neighbourhood Community Health Centre
- Kitchener-Waterloo, May 16, 7-9 PM, First United Church
- London, May 17, 7-9PM, Kenny Theatre, King’s College
- Hamilton, May 18, 7-9 PM, Hamilton City Hall Council Chamber
- Ottawa, May 24, 7-9 PM, Lion Dick Brule Community Centre
To find a pharmacare town halls near you or to RSVP for an event, go to publicpharmacare.ca. Please help amplify these town halls by sharing on social media and within your organizations. There are amplification packages available with sample social media posts and sample email if needed to help support the campaign. Message us for more info.
