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Ontario’s registered nurses are getting new prescribing powers — and some doctors aren’t happy about it
Tuesday, November 7th, 2023
Registered nurses will be able to independently prescribe and administer some medications — such as those for smoking cessation, immunizations and topical anesthetics for pain relief and wound care… Nurses who wish to participate must complete additional specialized education, for which registration is expected to begin in January… the change… will help make it easier for patients to get care while also reducing wait times at community clinics and hospitals.
Tags: Health, jurisdiction, pharmaceutical
Posted in Health Policy Context | No Comments »
The Liberals have a chance to make headway on pharmacare. They should seize the opportunity
Thursday, November 2nd, 2023
Hoskins had recommended that a universal program begin with essential medicines, which would initially cost the government $3.5 billion to $4.5 billion. The NDP insists on a single-payer universal system but acknowledges it can’t be done in one fell swoop. It has demanded that timelines for progress be enshrined in legislation. If all this leads to a “foundational” piece of legislation and a firm road map going forward, that will be welcome and significant progress in a time of economic uncertainty.
Tags: budget, disabilities, economy, featured, pharmaceutical, standard of living
Posted in Health Debates | No Comments »
Canada has more doctors than ever — but access is worse. Why is that?
Thursday, November 2nd, 2023
Governments may fund primary health care, but they don’t make the work rules. Those are made mainly by doctors. Medicare still makes sense. Public payment reduces administrative costs while eliminating financial barriers. But because of Medicare’s policy legacies, even doubling the number of doctors would not provide the access we deserve. We need to change the way physicians do their work.
Tags: Health, ideology, jurisdiction
Posted in Health Delivery System | 2 Comments »
‘We have a system that has lost its integrity’: Canada moves to reform its international student program
Monday, October 30th, 2023
“The worst of the private colleges are the storefront, fly-by-night operation, and they’re really dashing people’s hopes in this country. And those need to be shut down,” said Miller, adding that education is outside of the federal jurisdiction and it takes provincial leadership to address these problems… A new program has been developed to let immigration and border officials to quickly authenticate international students’ offer letters and payment status in real time.
Tags: crime prevention, immigration, multiculturalism, participation
Posted in Education Delivery System | No Comments »
Indian students outpace Ontario government in funding colleges: report
Sunday, September 17th, 2023
“Indian students not only contribute twice the amount of money to the college system, on aggregate, that Canadian students do, they also contribute slightly more than does the Government of Ontario.”… as Ontario has frozen and reduced tuition for domestic students, colleges have made up for it by accepting more international students… this has led to municipalities struggling to provide housing, transit and social services for the increasing population.
Tags: budget, ideology, jurisdiction, multiculturalism, standard of living
Posted in Education Delivery System | No Comments »
Mental health and prison: a tragic cycle that repeats itself
Saturday, September 16th, 2023
… when offenders are released, they often return to the same circumstances — homelessness, unemployment, drug use, lack of mental health care — that led to their offending in the first place.
Post-release treatment must therefore be just one part of a more comprehensive community effort, one that attends to the health, housing and employment needs of offenders.
Tags: crime prevention, housing, mental Health
Posted in Child & Family Debates | 4 Comments »
Pierre Poilievre: Same old guy, same old policies
Thursday, September 14th, 2023
Despite all the hype about his image makeover and how he’s a changed man… he continues to fuel the rage and hate that resides in many of his hard-line followers who despise Trudeau, the federal government and, in many cases, anything that they believe restricts their “freedom.” … his lack of policy specifics to date on key issues facing Canada is stunning.
Tags: economy, Health, ideology, privatization, standard of living, tax
Posted in Governance Debates | No Comments »
Investing in university infrastructure is an investment in the future
Thursday, August 31st, 2023
… with flat tuition revenue in Ontario, universities have dwindling funds to launch large capital projects, even in partnership with private corporations or donors, as these partnerships often require the institution to come to the table with matching funds… An investment in the infrastructure of our universities is an investment in our communities and the future prosperity and well-being of all Canadians. We cannot afford to defer this any longer.
Tags: budget, housing, immigration, jurisdiction, standard of living
Posted in Education Debates | No Comments »
The answer is clear: we can’t afford privatized health care
Thursday, August 24th, 2023
… lots of other countries have a blended system. In fact, so does Canada. But when we look deeper, we see that we spend less on our public health system — and more out-of-pocket and privately than most of our peers. As a share of all health spending, Canada allocates 75 per cent as public investment. How does that compare? Canada is a standout Scrooge.
Tags: budget, featured, Health, ideology, privatization, standard of living
Posted in Health Debates | No Comments »
Canada has in fact achieved universal drug insurance coverage
Saturday, August 12th, 2023
People in the lowest income deciles are eligible for public safety-net coverage at zero or very low costs. People in the highest income deciles are covered when prescription drug costs exceed 3 per cent to 7 per cent of family income, depending on the jurisdiction. Typically, private drug plans use deductibles and copayments and end up insuring about 80 per cent of prescription costs.
Tags: economy, Health, ideology, participation, pharmaceutical, privatization, standard of living
Posted in Health Debates | No Comments »
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