Staff
Canada has been looking at the healthcare system the wrong way, according to the president of the Canadian Medical Association.
Speaking at the Economic Club of Canada in Toronto on Friday, president Dr. Anna Reid said a greater focus has been put on trying to fix the system than on the factors that lead to poor health in the first place.
“Spending on health without addressing the underlying causes of poor health makes no sense,” she said, adding that a closer look must be taken at poverty, which is the overriding factor in determining a person’s health status.
Reid also said that Canada needs a pharmaceutical strategy for the millions of Canadians who aren’t taking their medication because they can’t afford prescription drugs.