For over half a decade, and despite broad public support, politicians have merely danced around the issue of a pan-Canadian pharmacare program. But in 2016, the ongoing discussion is no longer about the need for pan-Canadian pharmacare – on that we all agree – but what kind of pharmacare model is best for Canada? As front line healthcare professionals responsible for delivering drug treatments to patients every day, pharmacists take a keen interest in the ongoing debate over drug coverage. Every day we see the inevitable poor health outcomes which result when Canadians are not able to afford the drugs they require. We believe that all Canadians should be able to access medically necessary medications, regardless of income or postal code. However, a universal pharmacare model is only one option that Canadians should consider. In fact, according to a study we released on January 19, while a universal model would address the ten percent of Canadians currently unable to afford their prescriptions, it would also cost taxpayers an additional $6.6 billion per year. Furthermore, it could dramatically decrease the number of medications currently covered, and increase wait times for new medications to receive coverage. We readily acknowledge there are pros and cons to every potential pharmacare model – including a universal, single-payer pharmacare model. So let's have a conversation Canada… an informed discussion that examines and debates all the options. Let's talk about what actually makes sense for Canadians. Let's go beyond simply talking about achieving cost savings through reductions in generic drug costs, bulk purchasing and product listing agreements by government payers and talk about how optimal drug therapy can achieve both cost savings and better health outcomes for Canadians. Spending on drugs in Canada accounts for 15 percent of overall health care expenditures. What about the other 85 percent of healthcare costs? The conversation around pharmacare needs to be about how we can reduce hospitalization rates, ER visits and achieve better health outcomes through improved access to optimal drug therapy. When it comes to pharmacare, let's start a conversation about getting it right – the right drug, for the right person, in the right way, at the right price and at the right time. Pharmacists interact with patients four times more than any other healthcare profession. Pharmacists have a key role to play in ensuring patients get the most benefit from their medications – be it through medication adherence programs, early detection, chronic disease management and preventative health measures. Again, if we want to address improving health outcomes and control costs, the discussion also needs to be about how to enhance access to these and other pharmacist counseling services. Some say the profession has a self-interest in this debate. Sure, the profession has an interest in where discussions on pharmacare go. We want change, we want our patients to have access to the drugs and services they need without undue financial hardship. Pharmacists also want Canadians to clearly know all the facts, including all the costs and trade-offs associated with any pharmacare model. We are encouraged by the announcement that provincial and territorial health ministers and the federal health minister have agreed to begin talks on improving access to prescription drugs through the forming of a Working Group. This provides a unique opportunity for governments to consider all potential models for a pan-Canadian pharmacare plan — but we need to have a conversation that's informed by the facts and takes into consideration that better drug therapy will result in both better health outcomes and cost savings, not only for drug plans, but across the healthcare system. In addition to a preliminary report examining the costs associated with a universal pharmacare model, CPhA will be releasing a full report in the coming weeks that includes cost estimates for several additional proposed pharmacare models. These findings will inform an upcoming consensus conference and Pharmacare White Paper in the late spring. We hope it helps governments, policymakers and Canadians make well-informed choices about the future of their healthcare.Carlo Berardi is Chair of the Canadian Pharmacists Association.