Put pharmacare on agenda

Re Pharmacare an issue that can no longer be ignored, June 2 Martin Regg Cohn concludes that “there is an opportunity with the upcoming federal election year for the federal parties to show leadership” on the pharmacare front. We see another opportunity — for provincial health ministers (who are calling loudly for national pharmacare) to first demonstrate their commitment to universality by addressing glaring inequities here at home.

Ontario simply cannot justify acknowledging, but not addressing, the glaring disparity in cancer care where hospital-administered intravenous cancer therapies are publicly reimbursed, while take-home cancer therapies (oral pills and injectables) are not.

In March 2014 a Star editorial urged that cancer patients using at-home drugs shouldn’t have to pay for them.

Many other provinces have mechanisms in place to offer access to take-home cancer treatments regardless of one’s age. It’s time for Ontario to catch up — and that responsibility rests quite clearly in the office of Health Minister Eric Hoskins.

Cancer patients cannot wait for the long-term promise of national pharmacare — we need action at the provincial level today. It’s time to demonstrate the commitment to universality right here at home, and cancer presents a compelling place to start. Deborah Maskens, cancer survivor, CanCertainty Coalition, Guelph, Ont. A significant number of Canadians (about 3.5 million) are not receiving complete treatment for their medical conditions. Why? Because while they have received a diagnosis paid for under medicare they cannot afford to pay for their prescribed medication.

With a federal election coming up, Canadians should insist that this glaring deficiency be rectified through the introduction of a universal pharmacare plan. Bill Wensley, Cobourg, Ont.