For too long, our elected representatives have been playing political football with pharmacare. Turning pharmacare from political gimmick to reality will depend, ultimately, on our elected leaders’ willingness to stop kowtowing to powerful corporate lobbyists—and on our continued pressure on them to deliver for us instead.

After promising to establish national standards for long-term care in response to the tragic outcomes of COVID-19, the federal government has now washed its hands of that responsibility. It is instead passing the buck to a toothless accreditation industry to create updated standards. This band-aid solution is a far cry from what experts, advocates, and many residents, have long been asking for.