About the CFMS
The CFMS is an organization representing over 8,000 medical students from 15 Canadian medical student societies from coast to coast. We represent medical students to the public, to the federal government, and to national and international medical organizations.July 2, 2019 - OTTAWA -
The Canadian Federation of Medical Students (CFMS) welcomes the Final Report of the Advisory Council on the Implementation of Pharmacare: “A Prescription for Canada: Achieving Pharmacare for All”. We recognize that this report is the thoughtful, extensive, and critical culmination of consultative efforts led by Council Chair, Dr. Eric Hoskins, and the Advisory Council. Its recommendations unequivocally reflect the values, beliefs, and perspectives of many Canadian medical students from coast to coast to coast.
The CFMS was founded in 1977 by Canadian medical students, and today 42 years later, the CFMS represents over 8,400 medical students at 15 medical schools across Canada. As the national voice of Canadian medical students, the CFMS is comprised of tomorrow’s physicians leading on important health matters of today with the aim to connect, support, and represent its membership as they learn to serve patients and society.
The Advisory Council’s recommendations unmistakably align and embody the fundamental principles and recommendations presented by the CFMS Pharmacare Task Force’s 2019 position paper “Pan-Canadian Medical Student Perspectives on Pharmacare in Canada”. CFMS Position Paper on Pan-Canadian Medical Student Perspectives on Pharmacare in Canada.pdf){: target=”_blank”}. These principles reflect those that are being advocated for by Canadian Doctors for Medicare to strengthen and improve Canada’s universal publicly-funded health care system. In a recent national CFMS survey conducted earlier this year, almost all of the Canadian medical students surveyed support the idea of a national pharmacare program. Canadian medical students also cite the values, underpinning the Canada Health Act, of equity, universality, sustainability, accessibility, portability, and comprehensiveness to be paramount in the design and implementation of a national pharmacare program.
We thank Dr. Eric Hoskins and the Advisory Council for their luminary leadership. Although change disrupts the status quo and leads to discomfort and uncertainty, it is evident that change is necessary regarding this perpetual issue. We strongly urge our elected leaders to capture this unique opportunity, move thoughtfully, and create an everlasting legacy in Canada’s history books. Such actions will sit alongside those of political visionaries of the past who had the courage to implement our Canadian medicare system in similar times of discomfort and uncertainty; a legacy that now defines who we are as Canadians.
We believe the time to act on pharmacare is now.
Sincerely,
Canadian Federation of Medical Students
Pharmacare Task Force