432-00051 (Health)

The Government of Canada is committed to strengthening Canada’s health care system and to supporting the health of Canadians. No Canadian should have to choose between paying for prescription drugs and putting food on the table, yet many are still forced to make this impossible decision.

That is why the government has pledged to work with provinces, territories and stakeholders to continue to implement national universal pharmacare so that Canadians have the drug coverage they need. As stated in the Speech from the Throne in September 2020, we will accelerate steps to achieve this system including developing a rare-disease strategy, establishing a national formulary and working with provinces and territories willing to move forward without delay.

Additionally, as a foundational step towards national pharmacare, the Government of Canada recently modernized the way patented drug prices are regulated in Canada by amending the Patented Medicines Regulations. This was the first substantive update to the regulations since 1987 and it is expected that these amendments will save Canadians $13.2 billion in drug spending over the next 10 years. The amendments were published in Canada Gazette, Part II on August 21, 2019 and are available at: http://www.gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p2/2019/2019-08-21/html/sor-dors298-eng.html  

Through these actions, we continue to work with provincial and territorial governments and other key partners to improve the affordability and accessibility of needed prescription drugs.