Share Your Views on Healthcare Reform Through #PrescriptionForCare Survey

It’s a subject that touches Canadians deeply but carries mixed views.  While most are inherently proud of our healthcare system that offers universal access to healthcare professionals, treatment, and facilities, we know the system has been stretched and there is room to reimagine how healthcare could better meet the needs of both patients and their caregivers.

Since the beginning of April, Teva Canada has started the #PrescriptionForCare conversation.  It’s introduced initiatives to examine the future of healthcare in Canada; what it looks like and how it needs to evolve to best serve Canadians and caregivers.  As a leader in providing caregiving resources to Canadians online and through local pharmacies, this year Teva Canada has been committed to bringing important voices in the healthcare, patient and caregiving spaces together with a goal to develop ideas to support a new, collaborative model of care that supports people in all stages of life.  Now we’re looking to you for your experience and ideas for change.

“Teva Canada is pleased to be partnering with People Before Patients, a movement that invites everyone to engage in healthcare reform,” says Teva Canada General Manager, Christine Poulin. “We’ve been bringing health and wellness visionaries to the table to discuss what a healthcare system would look like if health and care co-existed in better balance. This is especially important for today’s caregiver who juggles many roles in managing the wellbeing of loved ones, often with complex needs in a complex healthcare system.”

#PrescriptionForCare Survey – Share your opinions and ideas on healthcare reform

To hear what Canadians have to say about the future of healthcare and what it should look like, Teva Canada has developed the “Prescription for Care” national online survey. Until May 31, 2022, the survey will capture ideas from adult Canadians who care about their health and the health of their communities.  Findings from this national online survey will be compiled and a framework for change paper will be shared with key healthcare and government stakeholders.  It will be available to the public on Teva Canada’s website and via social channels.

“We’re looking to healthcare users, including patients, paid and unpaid caregivers and those within the healthcare system to draw on their experiences and provide their unique insights,” says Jason Soler, Senior Director, Marketing & Market Access for Teva Canada.  “The role of Caregiver has evolved over the decades, but have the supports that are required to maintain best care for both patients and caregivers kept up with the pace?  We’re eager to review the ideas and outcomes from the survey to present an overview of what’s working for caregivers and where more help is needed.”

According to Statistics Canada’s General Social Survey – Caregiving and Care Receiving (compiled pre-pandemic, released in 2022), one in four Canadians aged 15 or older are providing care for family members or friends with a long-term condition, a physical or mental disability or problems related to aging.  Women account for almost two-thirds of caregivers providing 20 or more hours of care per week and those providing that level of care are more likely to report their caregiving responsibilities to be stressful or very stressful. Further, more than 80 per cent of caregivers who provide more than 20 hours of care per week felt they were unable to spend as much time with their family and more than three-quarters reported spending less time participating in social activities and with friends.

“Not only are caregivers a vital resource to those they care for, but they are a critical healthcare partner who are often charged with advocating, mediating, and coordinating care with healthcare professionals in a complex healthcare system,” says Poulin. “While the act of caregiving is rewarding, for many people it’s not easy and not without challenges. Today more than one in five Canadians are unpaid caregivers to family members and friends, with a physical, cognitive, or mental health condition.”

People Before Patients’ CEO Mark Stolow, agrees. “The pandemic meant that many Canadians experienced the limitations of our healthcare system. Countless caregivers have had to fill in the gaps when caring for a family member or friend who is vulnerable. With new initiatives like the #PrescriptionForCare survey, we are creating a platform for the exchange of ideas, big and small, that empowers caregivers to collaborate with health professionals and stakeholders for a better system.  We urge Canadians to get involved and share their voice.”