Question Period Note: Pharmacare

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KEY MESSAGES
· Our government remains focused on empowering Canadians—by lowering costs, expanding opportunity, and protecting the vital social programs Canadians rely on, including pharmacare.
· The Pharmacare Act provides a broad framework with general principles to guide collaboration on initiatives related to drug coverage in Canada.
· Four jurisdictions — Manitoba, British Columbia, Prince Edward Island and Yukon — have a pharmacare agreement with the Government of Canada to provide universal, single-payer, first-dollar coverage for a range of contraception and diabetes medications.
· The Government of Canada is committed to protecting those agreements and to achieving agreements for contraceptives and diabetes medications with all jurisdictions.
IF PRESSED…
Q1 : If pressed on signing pharmacare agreements with remaining jurisdictions
A1 :
· The Government of Canada continues to discuss with provincial and territorial partners how we can support them for better health outcomes for all Canadians.
· In the face of difficult financial pressures, we are focused on fiscal discipline and building Canada's economy. By controlling federal spending, we will be able to make investments to protect pharmacare.
· Our government will continue playing a key role in Canada’s pharmaceutical management system, working with provinces and territories, Indigenous Peoples and other partners and stakeholders to safeguard affordability and access to medications for all Canadians.
Q2 : If pressed on obligations in the Pharmacare Act to sign agreements with all provinces and territories
A2 :
· To be clear, the Act does not require the Government of Canada to sign bilateral agreements for contraception and diabetes medications with all provinces and territories.
· We have committed to protecting the agreements that have been signed and will fulfill our funding commitments under those agreements.
· We will continue to work with our health partners, including provinces and territories, to improve access to affordable medications for all Canadians, while controlling federal spending.
Q3 : If pressed on the development of advice on a national formulary and bulk purchasing plan
A3 :
• Canada’s Drug Agency has delivered its advice on a national formulary and a national bulk purchasing strategy, as requested under the Pharmacare Act .
• I would like to thank the Agency and the Advisory Panels for their hard work on these complex issues
• The reports will be made publicly available on Canada's Drug Agency's website
Q4 : If pressed on the National Pharmacare Committee of Experts
A4 :
• On November 21, I tabled the Committee’s report in Parliament, as required by the Pharmacare Act.
• I would like to thank the committee members for their independent advice and hard work on this complex issue.
Q5 : If pressed on Contraceptives and Diabetes Medication
A5 :
· Cost has consistently been identified as the single most important barrier to access to contraception and the cost is unevenly borne by women and gender diverse Canadians.
· Diabetes is one of the most common chronic diseases affecting people living in Canada.
· Improving the affordability of these medications is an important step forward to improve health equity, affordability, and outcomes and has the potential of long-term savings to the health care system.

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· Canada’s drug coverage system has over 100 public drug plans across the PTs and thousands of private drug plans, covering 97% of Canadians – each with distinct eligibility requirements, formularies, and varying out-of-pocket costs from co-pays, etc.

· In 2021, Statistics Canada found that one in five adults in Canada did not have the insurance they needed to cover their medication costs.

· In 2024, spending on prescribed drugs was over $43 billion. Of this, 41% was paid for by the public sector, 38% by private insurers, and 21% out of pocket by Canadians.