About the Pharmacare Act
In February 2024, the federal government introduced Bill C-64, titled the Pharmacare Act. If passed, it would establish the first phase of pharmacare in Canada and set out steps for a future expansion of the program. Working with provinces and territories, this first phase would provide coverage for select several contraception and diabetes medications.
Who will qualify for national pharmacare?
Details are still being developed. At this point, we know that unlike the Canadian Dental Care Plan, the proposed pharmacare program does not refer to qualification requirements and so may cover all Canadians.
Given unrestricted eligibility, government estimates that the future program would cost nearly $40 billion annually to run.
What will be covered?
The federal government will discuss this proposed list with provinces and territories, so the list of included medications may change and may vary by province.
List of of diabetes medications being discussed with provinces and territories considered for specific coverage:
- Insulin: Used by patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes to regulate blood sugar levels. Different types of insulin include rapid-acting, short-acting, intermediate-acting, and long-acting insulin.
- Oral medications: Used by patients with type 2 diabetes to regulate blood sugar levels. Examples include metformin, sulfonylureas (e.g., glyburide, glipizide, and glimepiride) and SGLT-2 Inhibitors such as empagliflozin.
Importantly, entire drug classes such as GLP-1s (e.g., Ozempic®, Wegovy®) are excluded from this list.
Separate from Bill C-64, the federal government also intends to fund access to some diabetes devices and supplies. This may include glucometers, test strips and lancets, as well as flash and continuous glucose monitoring devices (CGM). Further details will be available following federal government discussions with the provinces and territories.
List of contraceptives to be discussed with provinces and territories for specific coverage:
- Some oral contraceptives
- Copper and hormonal IUDs
- Injections
- Iimplants
- Rings and emergency contraception
As noted, the federal government will discuss this list with provinces and territories, so the list of included medications may change and may vary by province.
How will the national pharmacare act pharmacare affect my current drug benefits?
Because all the details aren’t yet developed, it’s not known exactly how national pharmacare will integrate with current workplace or individual prescription drug coverage.
We do know that Canada Life’s drug plans cover significantly more medications than any existing government plan.
We also know that many of our plan members benefit from additional supports connected to their drug benefits, such as health case management, that are not part of the government’s proposed Pharmacare Act.
Until more details about the plan are known, you may wish to keep your current drug coverage which also helps you to help pay for much more than contraception and diabetes medications.