GETTING out into nature can be a great way to destress and get some exercise, but it's not without its costs, with entry into National Parks often more expensive than a concessional Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) prescription.
However, a new program in Canada could help, by allowing doctors to prescribe a 12-month Parks Canada Discovery Pass - worth slightly less than $80.
The program aims to strip away the cost barriers around getting out in nature and giving people access to the parks.
Vancouver-based GP, Dr Melissa Lem, who launched the program in British Columbia in 2020, said prescribers across the country will be able to prescribe the passes to patients by the end of the year.
She said the next step in boosting urban-based Canadians' access to nature was to organise free transport to and from the National Parks, to remove another barrier to accessing the parks.
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