Healthcare is at a Breaking Point — It’s Time for Real Solutions

On Saturday in St. John’s, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh pledged that an NDP government would ensure every Canadian has access to a family doctor by 2030. With over 6.5 million Canadians currently without a family physician, the urgency of this crisis cannot be overstated.

The NDP estimates that bridging this gap will require hiring up to 7,500 new family doctors and shifting toward a team-based approach to care. Their plan also includes:

• Welcoming more U.S. physicians, particularly in women’s and reproductive health, with streamlined entry into Canada.
• Creating 1,000 additional family medicine residency placements for internationally trained doctors already living in Canada, waiving testing and licensing fees.
• Implementing a pan-Canadian licensure, allowing healthcare professionals to work wherever they are needed across the country—a proposal Singh says will require collaboration with First Ministers.
• Investing in housing and medical infrastructure for care teams in the North.
• Reducing administrative burdens, so more time can be spent caring for patients rather than paperwork.

Singh emphasized tapping into the pool of internationally trained doctors who are blocked from practicing due to a lack of residency spots, and expanding the number of doctors trained in Canada. He also pointed to expanding the use of pharmacists and nurse practitioners and other healthcare professionals as part of a broader solution.

When asked about the cost, Singh said the proposal includes a one percent boost in federal health transfers. While no exact price tag was initially given, the NDP later stated that if adopted nationally, the plan would cost $10 billion over four years. This is a gross underestimate.

Let’s be honest— the likelihood of the NDP forming the government is worse than the chance of the Toronto Maple Leafs winning the Stanley Cup. Their influence on federal policy is slim to none. But this doesn’t mean their proposals should be dismissed. On the contrary, this is precisely the time to pressure all political parties to adopt meaningful solutions to Canada’s physician shortage. We agree with many aspects of the NDP’s plan—particularly pan-Canadian licensure, infrastructure investments, and addressing barriers for international medical graduates.

But we need to go even further.

Healthcare professionals across the country are facing burnout, underpayment, and unsustainable workloads. Physicians, pharmacists, and nurses are being pushed to the brink. Fixing this doesn’t require years of planning—it requires political will.

In Ontario, doctors have gone over four years without a physician services agreement. Pharmacists are being asked to assess minor ailments and take on more clinical duties—but they are doing so while understaffed and underpaid. There is a national shortage of pharmacists, and though many are proud to use their full scope of practice, they are stretched far too thin.

One of the simplest and most effective recruitment and retention tools? Fair pay.

Let’s take the Ontario Drug Benefit (ODB) program as an example. Pharmacists are paid just $8.83 per prescription—an amount that doesn’t even begin to cover the cost of dispensing, let alone overhead. Pharmacies are restricted in what they can charge for medications, even when government-set prices are lower than the actual wholesale cost. This system is financially unsustainable.

Ever wonder why the price of coca cola and pop is so expensive compared to the past?

It’s because corporate pharmacies and grocery stores are no longer using it as a loss leader to bring people into the store to shop for other more profitable items when they come in to get their pop. Instead, Corporate pharmacies and grocery stores are using their dispensaries as loss leaders. In store pharmacy departments work much better than coca cola to bring customers into their stores. The customer is captive. They come regularly and often to pick up the meds. And while at the dispensary, they have to wait longer and longer to get their prescriptions filled, as the poor pharmacist is running off her feet and is overworked. Corporate pharmacy and grocery store owners love this, as now the captive customer has to spend even more time in the store enabling them to buy more profitable items like, perfume, cosmetics, and even the now profitable and overpriced Coca Cola. Everyone loses—except the corporate bottom line.

This has to stop! Demand Better!

Healthcare professionals are telling you this system is untenable. Patients feel it too—longer wait times, fewer providers, less personalized care. We should all be angry. We should all be demanding better. We are Canadians! The right to receive professional, timely and comprehensive health care from professionals that have the time and energy to spend thoroughly addressing our health problems is something we need to demand.

Contact your local candidates. Demand that every political party include bold, concrete solutions to the healthcare crisis in their platforms. This is more than a talking point. It’s about the future of our healthcare system—and the well-being of every Canadian.