New Publication from SPPA Professor Marc-André Gagnon, in collaboration with Carleton students Sonika Sharma (Kroeger College) and Owen Cober (Institute of Political Economy)

We’re proud to share a new publication from SPPA Professor Marc-André Gagnon, in collaboration with Carleton students Sonika Sharma (Kroeger College) and Owen Cober (Institute of Political Economy). Their report, *Barriers to Accessing Prescription Medication in Ontario First Nations: A Preliminary Review*, has just been published by the Ontario Native Welfare Administrators’ Association (ONWAA).

The research explores critical barriers faced by First Nations communities living on-reserve in accessing prescription medications. Through interviews with community leaders and government officials, the team identified issues like the outdated paper drug card system , geographic disparities , and under-resourced social service administration. A comparison of the NIHB and ODB formularies revealed major gaps—75 medications in the ODB are not covered by the NIHB, and 50 are only partially covered.

The report recommends:

* Further in-depth research
* Increased resources for on-reserve administrators
* Reducing NIHB and ODB coverage gaps
* Replacing the paper drug card system

An important step toward improving access and equity in Indigenous healthcare