Liberal-NDP deal on pharmacare should include some illicit substances, advocates say

OTTAWA — Advocates say they hope the agreement reached by the Liberals and New Democrats for a national pharmacare program will address the opioid overdose crisis and the problem of a toxic drug supply.

Natasha Touesnard, executive director of the Canadian Association of People Who Use Drugs, says her organization has been calling for substances like cocaine, methamphetamines and heroin to be added to the list of drugs that are approved in a national pharmacare plan.

Eris Nyx, co-founder of the Drug User Liberation Front, agrees that including substances like opiates and stimulants in the pharmacare guidelines would be important, and that safe supply programs should be covered.

Nyx cautions that she does not think these steps would meaningfully address drug overdose deaths in the community.

New Democrat MP and health critic Don Davies says he does not see a connection at all between the proposed national pharmacare program and safe supply.

The Public Health Agency of Canada says that since January 2016, almost 25,000 Canadians have died from opioid-related causes, excluding those in Quebec.

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This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Meta and Canadian Press News Fellowship.