In March, the federal government’s Advisory Council on the Implementation of National Pharmacare released its interim report, which included three recommendations: create a national drug agency; develop an evidence-based list of prescribed drugs; and invest in drug data and information technology systems. The council, which is headed by former Ontario health minister Eric Hoskins, is expected to release its final report in June. While RNAO has long advocated for a national pharmacare strategy, it believes the council needs to go further than the interim recommendations it released in March. “The federal government must ensure that all Canadians get equitable access to medication,” says RNAO President Angela Cooper Brathwaite. With the release of the interim report, Hoskins said current drug coverage is “…inadequate, unsustainable and leaves too many Canadians behind.” RNAO agrees, and has outlined its suggestions for next steps. The public system must: create universal coverage of medically necessary drugs via a single-payer system without user fees or other costs to Canadians; implement full coverage immediately; tame drug costs by creating a national agency to negotiate prices and resist excessive patent protection; and ensure appropriate prescribing. Further work on a national pharmacare strategy must also be grounded in the fact that a single-payer system is more equitable and cost-effective. To find out more, visit RNAO.ca/pharmacare_interim_report