View From the Legislature

Late last month I had the opportunity to host Health Ministers from across Canada in Winnipeg for our annual meeting. As chair if this year’s meeting I was also pleased to welcome the federal Minister of Health on the second day of meetings to discuss areas of concern and cooperation between the federal and provincial governments.

One of the key areas of discussion was the potential for a national pharmacare plan. The extent to which provinces have plans to help cover the costs of prescription drugs varies from province to province. Manitoba has one of the most comprehensive and universal care plans through Pharmacare. It is an income based plan to help ensure Manitobans are able to afford the prescription drugs that they require.

The federal government has signaled its interest in a national pharmacare plan and has established a working group to look at the potential options. Manitoba has indicated that it is willing to participate in this work and supports the concept of a national plan so long as it is designed in a way that meets the needs of patients and ensures there is adequate and long-term federal financial support that recognizes the increasing costs of prescription medication.

Also on the agenda was the issue of the legalization of recreational marijuana. The federal Liberal government has committed to legalizing marijuana this fall. As Manitoba’s Minister of Health I again reiterated our province’s concern around safety and in particular the need to have an adequate public awareness campaign on the hazards of using marijuana, particularly for young people, as well as the concern about increases of impaired driving once legalization takes place.

In addition, together with the Health Minister for Alberta, I presented a report on the ability for provinces to work together to purchase medical equipment and supplies. Just as there has been good cooperation on purchasing of prescription drugs on a pan-Canadian basis, there is also the opportunity to work together on purchasing medical equipment and some high cost diagnostic equipment.

Over the past year, Manitoba and Alberta have led the initiative to look for ways to have greater cooperation and realize cost savings though the purchasing together of certain medical goods. This work has led to some potential areas of savings and cooperation which will be reported on soon.

As well, there was significant discussion on the issue of addiction and learning between provinces. Both improper use of opioids and crystal meth were seen as specific areas of concern for provinces. Manitoba shared some of the initiatives, such as the commitment to establish Rapid Access to Addictions Medication (RAAM) clinics and to better coordinate the addictions system.

Overall, it was a productive meeting of Health Ministers in Winnipeg and I look forward to continued cooperation with my provincial colleagues across Canada.