Overview

• Ottawa will maintain funding agreements with British Columbia, Prince Edward Island, Manitoba and Yukon but is not committing to deals with other provinces and territories.
• Health Minister Marjorie Michel said the government needs consultations with provinces before negotiating additional pharmacare partnerships.
• Advocacy groups including Cover Contraception and the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada argue that halting new deals threatens equitable access to contraception and diabetes medications.
• Health leaders in jurisdictions without agreements, such as Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, warn residents could be left without essential drug coverage.
• Although Budget 2025 set aside $1.5 billion for the first phase of pharmacare, full national implementation now hinges on renewed federal-provincial negotiations and political will.