Exploring the Future of Drug Coverage in Canada
36th Annual Health Policy Conference | March 5, 2024
The 36th annual CHSPR health policy conference explored the future of drug coverage in Canada at a time of significant policy development. As millions of Canadians cannot afford their prescription drugs, the federal government is in the process of developing new legislation that will enable a more coordinated approach to pharmacare. The conference surveyed the history and future of drug coverage, including vital topics such as equity in access to medicines, the history of reform efforts, and the emerging use of real-world evidence. The event was offered in hybrid format.
CHSPR’s long-standing conference promotes discussion between policy-makers, academics, providers, trainees, patients and national organizations on timely issues shaping health systems in Canada. The 2024 conference brought together participants from diverse groups and from across the country.
Program
8:45 am | Welcome Remarks
Michael Law, Professor, UBC Centre for Health Services and Policy Research
Dermot Kelleher, Dean, UBC Faculty of Medicine
Mitch Moneo, Assistant Deputy Minister, Pharmaceutical Services, BC Ministry of Health
9:05 am | Anne Crichton Lecture | Pharmacare in 2024: Learning from the Past, Looking to the Future
Introduction: Fiona Clement, Professor, Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary
Speaker: Katherine Boothe, Associate Professor, McMaster University [Slides | Recording]
Audience Q&A moderated by Fiona Clement
9:50 am | Where Are We Now? Federal Initiatives Toward National Pharmacare
Introduction: Heather Logan, VP, Strategic Relationships and Initiatives, Canada’s Drug and Health Technology Agency (CADTH)
Speaker: Stephen Lucas, Deputy Minister, Health Canada [Slides]
Audience Q&A moderated by Kim McGrail, Professor, UBC Centre for Health Services and Policy Research
10:55 am | What’s the Impact of National Pharmacare?
Introduction: Steve Vander Wal, VP, Western Canada, Santis Health
Speaker: Graham Statt, Chief Administrative Officer, District of Summerland, BC [Slides]
Speaker: Joanne Jung, Pharmacy and Clinical Practice Leader, Willis Towers Watson [Slides]
Audience Q&A moderated by Mina Tadrous, Assistant Professor, Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto
12:45 pm | Emerging Issues in Drug Plan Design
Introduction: Rick Glazier, Scientific Director, CIHR Institute of Health Services and Policy Research
Speaker: Quinn Grundy, Assistant Professor, Lawrence Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto
Speaker: Michelle Boudreau, Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic Policy, Health Canada [Slides]
Audience Q&A moderated by Jason Sutherland, Professor & Director, UBC Centre for Health Services and Policy Research
1:50 pm | Pharmacare and Drug Pricing
Introduction: Kate McCammon, Leader, Strategic Initiatives, Health Quality BC
Speaker: Doug Clark, CEO, Pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance
Speaker: Inma Hernandez, Professor, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego [Slides]
Audience Q&A moderated by Rubee Dev, Assistant Professor, UBC Centre for Health Services and Policy Research
3:15 pm | Lessons from Another Federated Health System
Introduction: Brent Diverty, VP, Data Strategies and Statistics, Canadian Institute for Health Information
Speaker: Sallie Pearson, Professor, School of Population Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney [Slides]
Audience Q&A moderated by Sabrina Wong, Professor, UBC Centre for Health Services and Policy Research
4:05 pm | Closing Remarks: Reflections on the Future of National Pharmacare
Introduction: Jeff Round, Chief Scientific Officer, Institute of Health Economics
Speaker: Marcel Saulnier, Health Policy Consultant and Associate, Santis Health