Federally-funded diabetes medications and contraceptives will start being available to Canadians next April, Health Minister Mark Holland said Wednesday.
It’s the first time Mr. Holland has set any timeline for the launch of the federal pharmacare program to cover the two categories of drugs. The minority government was forced to agree to the policy as part of its deal with the NDP to stay in power until the end of its mandate in 2025. “My objective is to see every province, every territory — by April 1 of next year — see these drugs flowing. That’s my goal,” Mr. Holland said on Parliament Hill.
The House of Commons passed the Bill, called C-64 an Act Respecting Pharmacare on June 3, but the Senate has yet to start its committee review before holding a final vote on the proposed law. Mr. Holland said that he can’t begin formal negotiations with provinces and territories until the legislation becomes law but he has already begun preliminary talks with his counterparts. He said that will lay the groundwork for future negotiations and urged the Senate to move quickly.His government’s April budget though shows that the Liberals were only expecting the majority of the spending in the pharmacare program to roll out in 2026, rather than 2025.
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