Health Minister Mark Holland released the long-awaited details of the federal government’s pharmacare plan on Thursday, with a commitment to cover some diabetes treatments and contraception.
If the bill, C-64, passes Parliament, Holland will begin negotiating with the provinces and territories on a funding commitment that would cover the cost of providing these medications to people for free.
He said he hopes people can access the program sometime this year, although a lot of uncertainties make an actual start date hard to pinpoint.
The federal government says it also will establish a fund to support Canadian diabetics who need access to syringes and glucose test strips to manage their condition but struggle to afford them.
News release from the Minister of Health:
- https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/news/2024/02/government-of-canada-introduces-legislation-for-first-phase-of-national-universal-pharmacar.html
- https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/news/2024/02/universal-access-to-diabetes-medications-and-diabetes-device-fund-for-devices-and-supplies.html
Link to text of Bill C-64
A huge thank you to all our members who have been advocating for pharmacare for decades. Still while we can celebrate today, our work is not over until pharmacare is fully implemented.