Ep106: It’s not Healthcare without Pharmacare, with Doret Cheng

Changing Lenses: Diversify Your Perspectives

Did you know that if you don’t have private health insurance, you likely have to pay for life-saving drugs out of your own pocket? Did you know that Canada’s healthcare ranks second last out of 10 countries? Without pharmacare, Canada’s “healthcare” system is NOT universal.
In part 2 of our healthcare series, Doret Cheng, a practicing pharmacist and university lecturer on global health, explains why healthcare equality is NOT equity, and how we can afford a national pharmacare program.
As a bonus, I ask Doret her thoughts on how a COVID vaccine should be equitably distributed.

In this episode

• [00:04:04] When equality is not equity: patient discharge stories
• [00:13:34] Canada’s healthcare is second worst out of OECD countries
• [00:16:38] The case for national pharmacare: we actually SAVE money
• [00:21:08] The government’s plan for national pharmacare – there is one?!
• [00:27:00] COVID vaccine – who gets it first?
• [00:31:50] Doret’s lessons learned – listening to patients results in better health outcomes

Full transcript available here.
Guest bio and references:

Doret Cheng is a pharmacist with 20 years of patient care experience in community pharmacies, hospitals, and global healthcare as far away as Uganda.

Doret is of Chinese ethnicity, born in Ghana, immigrated to Edmonton, Canada as a child, and now lives in Toronto, where she currently practices at St. Mike's Hospital, Academic Family Health Team. She is also an Adjunct Lecturer at the University of Toronto, teaching on global health.
References:

Find Doret on: LinkedIn

Data on Canada’s ranking with OECD countries:

https://interactives.commonwealthfund.org/2017/july/mirror-mirror/

Canadian Government Websites on National Pharmacare:

https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/news/2019/06/the-advisory-council-on-the-implementation-of-national-pharmacare-recommends-canada-implement-universal-single-payer-public-pharmacare.html

https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/corporate/about-health-canada/public-engagement/external-advisory-bodies/implementation-national-pharmacare/final-report.html