Update: the Minister of Health announced the first pharmacare agreements with Manitoba ($219 million over four years) and British Columbia ($670 million over four years) for universal coverage of a range of contraceptives and diabetes medications.
As previously reported, on February 29, 2024, the Minister of Health introduced Bill C-64, An Act respecting pharmacare (Pharmacare Act), which proposed the foundational principles for the first phase of national universal pharmacare in Canada.
On October 10, 2024, the Government of Canada announced that the Pharmacare Act received royal assent and came into force.
For the first phase of a national universal pharmacare, the Minister of Health will work with provinces and territories “to reach bilateral agreements to provide universal, single-payer, first-dollar access to a range of contraception and diabetes medications”. On September 12, 2024, the Ministers of Health of Canada and British Columbia announced their intention to enter formal negotiations to implement such coverage.
Additionally, the Pharmacare Act sets out the following requirements for the Minister of Health and Canada’s Drug Agency (CDA).
- CDA must develop “a list of essential prescription drugs and related products to inform the development of a national formulary” within one year;
- CDA must develop “a national bulk purchasing strategy for prescription drugs and related products” within one year;
- The Minister must publish “a pan-Canadian strategy regarding the appropriate use of prescription drugs and related products” within one year; and
- The Minister must establish a committee of experts “to make recommendations respecting options for the operation and financing of national, universal, single-payer pharmacare”. The committee must be established within 30 days and recommendations provided within one year.
Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact a member of the Life Sciences Regulatory & Compliance Group.
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