Canada’s national pharmacare program is currently at a standstill, as the federal health minister has confirmed that discussions are not ongoing with the remaining provinces and territories to establish agreements. The recent budget did not allocate additional funds for expanding coverage nationwide, raising concerns about the future of the public drug plan.
Over a year ago, the Canada Pharmacare Act was passed by the Trudeau government, committing to agreements with all provinces and territories to cover the costs of contraceptive and diabetes medications and devices. While four regions – B.C., Manitoba, P.E.I., and Yukon – signed deals with Ottawa before the federal election, no new agreements have been announced since then. Health Minister Marjorie Michel stated that her department is not actively engaging in discussions to sign additional deals at the moment.
Provinces like Ontario, Saskatchewan, and New Brunswick have expressed readiness to negotiate with Ottawa. However, Alberta has raised concerns about the program’s long-term sustainability and wants autonomy in determining covered medications. Despite some provinces showing interest in signing agreements, others like Nova Scotia have not received responses from the federal government.
The absence of new financial allocations in the recent budget has raised questions about the government’s commitment to pharmacare expansion. Advocates point out that existing deals only cover 17% of Canadians, highlighting disparities in access to essential medications. Concerns have been voiced over the lack of clarity and action from the federal government, with critics questioning the true dedication to implementing a comprehensive pharmacare program that benefits all Canadians.
