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Canada’s pharmaceutical bill has officially become a reality after it was officially passed by the Senate and received royal assent on Thursday.
That means many will soon have access to more medications, including those for diabetes and birth control, which are considered essential and can cost hundreds or thousands out of pocket each year, although specific provincial agreements are still being negotiated.
The legislation, part of the now-defunct political agreement between the Liberals and the NDP, sets a framework for the creation of any future universal pharmaceutical plan.
“Today it is about pharmaceutical care. It is an incredibly important day for this country,” Health Minister Mark Holland said during a media briefing on Friday. “I’m not going to say this was easy…. It was incredibly difficult to get this bill passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate.”
Now that Bill C-64 has become law, the pharmacy plan will provide coverage for certain diabetes treatments and contraception in provinces that enter into agreements with the federal government.
These agreements will support reproductive freedom by providing free access to contraception to up to nine million women and gender-diverse people in Canada, Holland says.
In addition, Canada’s 3.7 million people living with diabetes will have universal access to a range of medications that reduce the risk of serious health complications and improve quality of life. the government said.
Here’s what you need to know about the bill.
The pharmacy law includes universal access to contraception and diabetes medications, with the goal of expanding the number of covered medications in the future.
It is also implementing a universal pharmaceutical health plan with first-dollar coverage for medications, meaning the government pays the costs up front.
Covered diabetes medications include first-line treatments that lower blood sugar levels, giving Canadians 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.
- Medications commonly used in combination with insulin and metformin in patients with type 2 diabetes, including sulfonylureas and SGLT-2 inhibitors.
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You will find one complete list of covered diabetes medications on the Government of Canada website.
The bill also addresses access to contraceptives for approximately nine million Canadians of childbearing age.
“Contraceptives were chosen as part of this next step of universal pharmaceutical care, especially because greater access to contraception improves equity. It reduces the risk of unintended pregnancies and improves reproductive rights.” Health Canada stated in a February news release.
Contraceptive coverage includes oral contraceptives, copper and hormone IUDs, injections, implants, rings and morning-after pills.
Find one complete list of covered contraceptives on the Government of Canada website.
Will provinces and territories sign up?
Now that the bill has become law, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has urged provinces and territories to start negotiating pharmaceutical deals as soon as possible. This includes payment and distribution
This is essential to the implementation of the plan as the federal government must negotiate and sign agreements with the provinces and territories across the country.
“This is real progress, but now we need the provinces and territories to come to the table and sign agreements with us that will support Canadians and take the pressure off their household budgets as quickly as possible,” Trudeau told reporters Friday.
British Columbia has already signed a Memorandum of Understanding to provide coverage to residents, although that coverage looks a little different in BC than it does for others.
Federal coverage applies to contraception and diabetes medications and supplies, but Health Minister Adrian Dix said oral contraceptives are already covered by a provincial program, so some of the funding will be used to cover the cost of hormone replacement therapy for women .
Hormone therapy is a medical treatment used to relieve menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, and vaginal dryness, and in some cases to prevent osteoporosis. It contains hormones that the ovaries produce less as women age and reach menopause.
Some provinces are opposed to the federal plan, as both Alberta and Quebec have expressed their intention to move away from pharmaceutical care if it is introduced.
Instead, they plan to invest their share of the program’s funding in their own health care systems.
The Netherlands hopes that this will change.
“It’s ideal that everyone is on the same page … but we need more conversations to get there,” Holland said Friday, acknowledging that negotiations with provinces and territories could take some time; However, he expressed hope that all provinces and territories will join in next spring.
The federal version of 2024 budget reported the first phase of national pharmaceutical care would cost $1.5 billion over five years starting in 2024-2025.
The Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) estimates total healthcare drug spending at $33.2 billion in 2024-25 (the assumed first full fiscal year of implementation), rising to $38.9 billion in 2027-28.
“After accounting for status quo spending on provincial drug plans and direct federal spending, as well as Pharmacare co-payment revenues, the incremental costs to the public sector (i.e., federal and provincial governments combined) are estimated at $11.2 billion in 2024-2025. rising to $13.4 billion by 2027-28,” the PBO said.
The PBO estimates that cost savings on drug spending will reach $1.4 billion over 2024-2025, with this figure rising to $2.2 billion by 2027-2028.
The Netherlands has said this is the first step in its plan to create a universal pharmaceutical system across Canada.
Within a month, Ottawa will convene a panel of experts to explore the next steps in creating a full-fledged pharmaceutical program.
The committee will report its recommendations to the Minister of Health within a year, as the legislation will inform the creation of a future universal pharmaceutical plan.
– with files from The Canadian Press
© 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
Katie Dangerfield
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