Overview

• A BMJ study tracking nearly 860,000 women aged 15–49 found dispensations of long-acting reversible contraception rose by 49% in the 15 months after April 2023.
• More than 11,000 additional women chose IUDs and implants compared with projected use without cost coverage.
• Eliminating up to $450 in out-of-pocket costs for IUDs and implants removed a key barrier to methods that are ten times more effective than pills or condoms.
• Lead author Dr. Laura Schummers and collaborators describe B.C.’s program as a blueprint for a nationwide pharmacare plan to boost reproductive autonomy and equity.
• Federal Health Minister Marjorie Michel has declined to negotiate new pharmacare agreements beyond the four jurisdictions already signed on, leaving broader national coverage in limbo.