Ottawa Signals Pause on New Pharmacare Deals, Alarming Health Advocates

Canada’s new Liberal government is signalling it may pause further expansion of the national pharmacare initiative, raising concerns from health-care advocates about uneven drug coverage across the country. Health Minister Marjorie Michel said Ottawa must “have discussions with the provinces to see how we can support them,” stopping short of committing to negotiate additional funding agreements beyond the four already signed with British Columbia, Prince Edward Island, Yukon and Manitoba. A spokesperson later said the government would protect those existing deals, which run for four years and were funded from a C$1.5 billion envelope set aside in the last federal budget. The Pharmacare Act, passed last autumn, launched a first phase that would have Ottawa cover the cost of contraceptives and diabetes medications nationwide and study options for a universal drug-coverage program. Advocates, including the Canadian Health Coalition and Access B.C., warned that halting new agreements would undermine that goal and leave residents in the remaining provinces and territories without comparable benefits.