I’m hearing lots of questions from constituents about Canada’s Pharmacare bill which the NDP has leveraged in this minority parliament. It became a reality last Thursday when it received royal assent.
Canada has been the only country in the world to offer universal healthcare without a pharmacare component. We started with diabetes and contraception which are essential and can cost many thousands of dollars out of pocket each year for Canadians. Agreements are required with provinces and our BCNDP government has already signed an MOU to provide this coverage.
It certainly wasn’t easy getting here, the Conservatives fought it all the way. But now, the 3.7 million people in Canada living with diabetes will have universal access to a suite of medications that reduce the risk of serious health complications and improve quality of life. The new program implements a universal first-dollar coverage Pharmacare plan for medications, meaning that the government pays the costs upfront.
The diabetes medications covered include first-line treatments that lower blood glucose levels, providing Canadians with access to essential therapies such as: Insulin which is used by patients with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes; Metformin, which is used by patients with Type 2 diabetes; and, medications often used in combination with insulin and metformin, including sulfonylureas and SGLT-2 inhibitors. For the full list, go here: https://bit.ly/4f6tC8K.
The new program will also support reproductive freedom by providing up to nine million women and gender diverse people in Canada free access to contraception.
We currently rely on a patchwork of private and public plans which defuse purchasing powers that can bring costs down. Still lots more work to establish a full-fledged program but now we have a framework with the goal to expand the number of covered medications in the future.
Without question, Pharmacare is the most significant enhancement to our healthcare system since the introduction of public healthcare in Canada.
