While almost 90 per cent of Canadians currently have some form of public or private coverage, access to prescription medicines across the country remains inconsistent and inequitable.

Janssen supports the concept of national pharmacare where the primary focus is on patient well-being and ensuring all Canadians have fair, timely and equitable access to the medications they need, when they need them.

There are countries where pharmacare programs focus heavily on cost-containment, which leads to reduced access or universal coverage for a limited number of lower-cost medicines. We do not believe this is in the best interest of Canadians or our healthcare system.

The existence of the Patented Medicines Prices Review Board (PMPRB), pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance (pCPA), Health Technology Assessments (HTA) and private insurance companies means Canada already has a well-defined system in place for ensuring fair and value-based pricing of medicines. 

As the debate on national pharmacare continues, Janssen wants to collaborate with governments and health plan providers to help define policies and systems that ensure Canadians have access to the best medications available.