Trudeau Urges Provinces to Begin Pharmacare Negotiations

OTTAWA – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has urged Canadian provinces and territories to promptly commence negotiations for pharmacare deals following the enactment of new federal legislation designed to implement the program.

“This is real progress, but now we need the provinces and territories to come to the table and sign agreements with us that support Canadians and take pressure off their household budgets as soon as possible,” Trudeau stated to reporters on Friday. His comments came at the conclusion of his visit to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit hosted in Laos.

The legislation in question played a pivotal role in the previous political agreement between the Liberal Party and the New Democratic Party (NDP), the latter of which had been a strong advocate for its introduction. On Thursday, NDP health critic Peter Julian emphasized that Canada remains the only nation with a universal healthcare system that lacks universal prescription drug coverage.

The bill passed through the Canadian Senate on Thursday evening without any amendments and subsequently received royal assent. This legislative action sets the groundwork for developing a universal pharmacare plan in the future.

In the immediate term, the legislation facilitates the federal government’s ability to negotiate agreements with provinces and territories to include essential medications such as those for diabetes and contraception within the public health system.

Prime Minister Trudeau highlighted that the pharmacare initiative would benefit individuals struggling to afford medication costs and reiterated his government’s commitment to women’s rights. “Not only do we believe in a woman’s right to choose, but we also act on it,” he stated.

The federal Health Minister expressed a goal of securing agreements with all provinces and territories by next spring, with British Columbia already having signed a memorandum of understanding to offer coverage.

The law mandates the establishment of an expert panel within the upcoming month to explore further steps necessary to develop a comprehensive pharmacare program. This panel is expected to submit its recommendations to the Health Minister within a year.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on October 11, 2024.