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VICTORIA — The British Columbia and federal governments have signed a four-year, $670-million pharmacare agreement, giving universal access to contraceptive and diabetes medications.
The plan will support nearly 550,000 B.C. residents with diabetes and provide 1.3 million people with a range of contraceptives. It will also improve access to diabetes devices and supplies.
Federal Health Minister Mark Holland told a news conference Thursday that while people often talk about the cost of such a plan, the expense of not giving someone with diabetes the medicine they need could be blindness, loss of a limb or even death.
He said it is “devastating” to hear about cases where someone wasn’t able to adhere to what doctors prescribe because they can’t afford it, which leads to “some terrible outcome” that shouldn’t have occurred.
“Fundamentally, that should not be our country,” he said.
However, universal access to the free medications doesn’t start until March next year.
Holland said the agreement highlights “B.C.’s leadership” in health reform, noting the province began providing free contraceptives to its residents nearly two years ago.
“The early indication is that program is saving a boatload of money, and that’s why I don’t even understand the debate on this,” he said.
“This is about really doing two things simultaneously: improving our health system and making sure that people stay in wellness rather than disease and two, break the ridiculous way that we currently manage things — which is wait for people to get sick and then spend obscene amounts of money caring for them once they’re ill.”
The new agreement, signed Thursday, will also mean free public coverage of hormone replacement therapy to treat symptoms of menopause.
Holland said women in this country will very soon have “complete autonomy” over their own bodies.
“Women being able to have access to reproductive medicines is freedom, freedom over the decisions what to do with their bodies, whether or not they want to start a family, and it’s absolutely critical,” Holland said.
B.C. Health Minister Josie Osborne agreed. She said the rising cost of living can create very difficult choices for people, but no one should have to choose between paying for their medications or paying for groceries.
“The cost for diabetes medication for a person living with Type 1 diabetes can be as high as $18,300 a year. For those who are living with Type 2 diabetes, it can be as much as $10,000 a year,” she said.
“So, thanks to this federal funding, we’re going to be able to cover diabetes medication costs for everyone in British Columbia free of charge.”
Osborne also told the news conference 95 per cent of Canadian women report an average of seven menopause symptoms that range from “hot flashes and sleep disturbances to brain fog, anxiety, joint pain and more.”
She said many trans women and gender diverse people also experience menopausal symptoms throughout their lifetimes.
“We’re going to be able to ensure that hormone replacement therapy is covered up to 100 per cent and that will help approximately 160,000 patients across the province save money and improve the quality of their life,” she said.
“Today’s agreement is also about strengthening our public health care system for the long term, and the principle of universal access that it’s founded on. It’s a health system where care is delivered based on need, not ability to pay.”
Some advocates and politicians, such as NDP leader Jagmeet Singh, applauded the move. AccessBC, a group that has campaigned for universal no-cost prescription contraceptives across Canada, called it “a victory for equitable health care.”
But Liam MacDonald of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, disagreed, saying it is “costly and unnecessary” during a time of “unprecedented economic uncertainty.”
He said the plan will likely “cover only a fraction” of what B.C. residents access through their employer insurance plans.
“National pharmacare isn’t necessary,” MacDonald said. “Ottawa can work with provinces to fill the small gaps in drug coverage for a fraction of the cost, while maintaining the beneficial role played by private insurers.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 6, 2025.
Marcy Nicholson, The Canadian Press
