HealthAugust 27, 2026

pharmacare

FAR-muh-kair

Definition

A government-funded program designed to provide universal or subsidized access to prescription medications.

Etymology

The word is a portmanteau formed by combining 'pharmaceutical'—derived from the Greek 'pharmakon' meaning drug or medicine—and 'care'.

In the news

The article uses the term to highlight that Canada lacks a national, government-supported plan for prescription drugs, forcing citizens to pay out-of-pocket costs.

Canadians’ Private Spending on Health Care Is Up Sharply

Read the full article ↗

The Tyee

Related words

baobab

A large, long-lived tropical tree known for its massive trunk and nutrient-dense, edible…

Health

catatonia

A neuropsychiatric condition often associated with schizophrenia or mood disorders,…

Health

dystonic

In a psychological context, describing thoughts or behaviors that are inconsistent with a…

Health

erythroblasts

Immature red blood cells that are still in the process of developing.

Health

haemolytic

Relating to or involving the destruction of red blood cells, a process that releases…

Health

multisource

Derived or collected from several different origins or types of information channels…

Health

Learn words like this every day

Meet new words every morning.

Newspoken pulls carefully chosen words from the day’s news — with clear definitions, context, and light review that makes them stick. Get it on your phone.