We cannot deny the fact that the costs of prescription drugs have been increasing at a considerable rate over the last few decades. While total healthcare spending per capita has almost tripled during this period, per capita expenditures on prescription drugs have increased six-fold. But should this trend be a source of concern?

How much a society spends on health care has not been found to be directly related to any health outcome tested. A society that spends so much on health care that it cannot or will not spend adequately on other health-enhancing activities may actually be reducing the health of its population. If a country wants to see significant improvements in its population health, the best public policy is to eliminate poverty.

Canada gets top marks for freedom -- odd in a country where you can easily get a marijuana joint in most big cities, but not a private MRI scan

At the heart of B.C.'s approach to health care is the conviction that the doctor-patient relationship -- that long term bond forged over time -- is the critical attribute that promotes healthier patients and more appropriate, cost-effective care.

Let's face it: most people don't want a heart transplant or a hip replaced just because they're free. So what do user fees really discourage? They discourage the frugal and the poor from getting the care they really need.

By eliminating the waste inherent in private insurance and by improving therapeutic choices, implementing universal Pharmacare could save Canadians billions of dollars a year.

North Americans have a faddish embrace of an imagined European model that is supposedly free of waiting lists and can serve as models of more efficient and fairer health care for Canada and the U.S.