C-64 – The Pharmacare Act – sets up a national pharmacare program.
Principles
First up The Pharmacare Act outlines the guiding principles on how the Minister of Health should approach the program. The Minister should:
- Improve access to pharmaceutical products, including through coverage, in a way that’s consistent across Canada
- Improve the affordability of pharmaceutical products
- Support the appropriate use of pharmaceuticals in a way that prioritizes patient health, optimizes health outcomes, and reinforces the sustainability of the healthcare system
- Provide universal coverage of pharmaceuticals
Funding
Under C-64 the government will be committed to providing funding for single-payer pharmaceutical programs provided by provinces, territories, and Indigenous communities. Once a province signs off on an agreement with the feds they’ll be able to get funding to cover the cost of certain prescription drugs, as well as any drugs related to diabetes and contraception. C-64 explicitly calls out that this funding will only be provided for first-dollar coverage. It will pay for the prescriptions and is not for anything else.
Minister’s Powers and Obligations
Once the Pharmacare Act passes the Minister of Health will start working with the Canadian Drug Agency on a few things, starting with a list of drugs that should be covered by the Act. The Agency will have one year to put together a list of essential drugs and related products that should be covered by it.
Once the list has been made the Minister will start working with the provinces to establish their pharmacare programs. The Minister will also work on a bulk purchasing strategy for the drugs on the list.
Next, to maintain and update the pharmacare plan, the Minister will need to consult with the Canadian Drug Agency for information on:
- The clinical and cost effectiveness of prescription drugs compared to other medical treatments
- Updates on the drugs that should be included in the pharmacare plan
- Information and recommendations given to doctors on the appropriate use of prescription drugs
- Improvements to be made to the pharmaceutical system in general
Reports
The Minister will have one year to publish a strategy on the appropriate use of prescription drugs. Every three years after that the Minister will have the Canadian Drug Agency look into the progress on the strategy and provide a report on it.
Finally the Minister will have 30 days after C-64 passes to put together a team of experts to look into the implementation and financing of the Pharmacare Program. This team will have a year to report their recommendations back to the Minister.
Why does C-64 matter?
The Liberals and NDP argue that improving access to prescription drugs will help the overall health of Canadians, and that removing the cost of those drugs will help lower the cost of living for Canadians who rely on these drugs. It’ll also help reduce unplanned pregnancies as there will be more access to contraceptives, and make life more affordable for diabetics.
I don’t see anything from the Conservatives in the House on C-64 yet, but the biggest criticism for it right now is that it relies on provincial participation and two provinces have already said they won’t be getting involved in it. (Alberta and Quebec, though Quebec already has its own pharmacare program)
Progress
C-64 is currently waiting for its Second Reading vote