The federal government's step towards a national pharmacare plan in the newly tabled budget, is not a step far enough for Windsor West Member of Parliament Brian Masse.
The longtime New Democrat says his party has been fighting for a coast-to-coast pharmacare plan for years and says another study is not necessary.
Former Ontario health minister Eric Hoskins will head the federal government's pharmacare panel that will study the feasibility of a national program — officially called the Advisory Council on the Implementation of National Pharmacare.
Masse says the benefits of national pharmacare are well known as every country with nationalized healthcare already has a publicly funded drug program, except for Canada.
"Another study for a Liberal minister to step down and take this as a job is just completely unacceptable — it's been studied to death, we need to move on with it," says Masse.
He adds, if the Liberals were serious about a national drug plan, the government could have rolled out a basic plan right away.
"Many provinces already have some basic element of coverage and we could've ensured that that's going to be something covered across the board for our country and then augmentation and more specific development could come from that."
Finance Minister Bill Morneau did not commit to an implementation date for a new national program in outlining the advisory pharmacare panel.