From the Editors

Two underlying themes connect the 13 articles in this issue of Healthcare Quarterly: Canada's health system was designed and built for a very different time and population and "things can be better," the last sentence in each of the three papers on medicare and pharmacare. These pronouncements may cover all health policy literature ever written, but their consequences are profound for those relying on, working in and trying to transform a health system constantly playing catch-up to meet the population's changing needs. Concurrently, this same system is grounded in bedrock principles - a belief in single-payer, universal healthcare, for instance - said to express the values of Canadians and the nature of our nation (Soroka 2007: 5-6). In that light, the understated "things can be better" carries greater weight and prompts a response. Whether seeking to strengthen primary care continuity, reduce long-term care (LTC) hospital admissions or increase prescription adherence, this issue's improvement efforts reflect a commitment to hasten that health system catch-up and meet the country's increasingly complex healthcare needs.