Governments will work together to provide universal
access to contraception, diabetes medication, and hormone
replacement therapy.
VANCOUVER, BC, Sept. 12,
2024 /CNW/ - Canadians should have access to the
medications they need, regardless of where they live or their
ability to pay. In 2021, over a quarter of British Columbia (BC) residents
reported not having sufficient insurance to cover the cost of
their prescription drugs. People should not have to choose between
paying for their medications and putting food on the table.
Unfortunately, many Canadians are still forced to make this
impossible decision.
Today, the Honourable Mark Holland, Minister of Health, and the
Honourable Adrian Dix, BC's Minister
of Health, confirmed their intention to work together to make
essential and preventive medications more accessible and more
affordable for residents of BC. Once Bill C-64 receives Royal
Assent, both governments intend to enter formal negotiations to
implement universal, single-payer, first-dollar coverage for a
range of contraception and diabetes medications as
announced by the Government of Canada in February
2024.
As part of this work, BC also intends to provide free treatment
of menopausal symptoms with hormone replacement therapy (HRT). As
BC began proving free contraceptives to its residents in
April 2023, the province intends to
provide universal, single payer, first dollar coverage for HRT.
During the development of the bilateral agreement with Canada, BC may wish to discuss inclusion of
additional prescription drugs and related products beyond existing
lists of contraceptives and diabetes medications. The benefits of
federal pharmacare funding will enable the Government of BC to
further enhance its leadership in pharmacare programming for its
residents.
When complete, the bilateral agreement with BC will be an
important step forward to improve health equity, affordability, and
health outcomes for BC residents, with potential long-term cost
savings to our public health care system.
The Government of Canada is
committed to working with provinces and territories to improve
health care for all Canadians, including access to affordable
prescription medications, and achieving better health outcomes for
everyone.
Quotes
"No Canadians should have to choose between paying for
prescription drugs and putting food on the table. We look forward
to working with the Government of British
Columbia after Royal Assent of Bill C-64 to make sure that
all British Columbians get the medication they need to live healthy
lives and prevent serious complications. Our government is
committed to working with all provinces and territories to help
Canadians save money and get the prescription drugs they need, as
we move forward on national pharmacare."
The Honourable Mark Holland
Minister of Health
"B.C. made history as the first province in Canada to offer free coverage for prescription
contraceptives. By partnering with the Government of Canada to fully cover contraceptives and
diabetes medications, we can now reinvest these savings to improve
coverage for hormone replacement therapy for people experiencing
menopausal symptoms. This is another significant step toward
increasing equity in health care, reducing financial barriers and
helping more people to take control of their reproductive
health."
The Honourable Adrian Dix
British Columbia's Minister of
Health
Quick Facts
- On December 18, 2023, the
Government of Canada announced the
creation of the Canadian Drug Agency with an investment of over
$89.5 million over five years,
starting in 2024-25. The Agency will provide the dedicated
leadership and coordination needed to make Canada's drug system more sustainable and
prepared for the future and help Canadians achieve better health
outcomes.
- On March 22, 2023, the Government
of Canada announced measures in
support of the first-ever National Strategy for Drugs for Rare
Diseases, with an investment of up to $1.5 billion over three years to help increase
access to, and the affordability of, effective drugs for rare
diseases.
- On July 23, 2024, the Government
of Canada announced an agreement
with the Government of British
Columbia, providing $194
million over the next three years for the National Strategy
for Drugs for Rare Diseases.
- PEI residents have saved over $2
million in out-of-pocket costs on more than 230,000
prescriptions under PEI's $5 copay
program, which was launched in June
2023 and reduced copays for almost 60% of medications
regularly used by Island residents. These latest improvements are
an important milestone of the Improving Affordable Access to
Prescriptions Drugs (IAAPD) initiative that provides federal
funding to PEI to improve access to prescription drugs and make
prescriptions drugs more affordable for Island residents.
Associated Links
- Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of
Canada and the Government of
British Columbia for Universal,
Single-Payer, First-Dollar Access to Select Contraception and
Diabetes Medications
- Backgrounder: Universal Access to Contraception
- Backgrounder: Universal Access to Diabetes Medications, and
Diabetes Device Fund for Devices and Supplies
- Final Report of the Advisory Council on the Implementation of
National Pharmacare
- Prescription drug insurance coverage
SOURCE Health Canada (HC)