P.E.I. gets $35 million to cover more drugs and lower co-pays

In what is being described as a first agreement towards universal pharmacare in Canada, the federal government has pledged to give Prince Edward Island $35 million over four years to pay for new drugs to be added to the province’s list of covered medications and to reduce out-of-pocket costs for islanders. "P.E.I. has one of the most complicated landscapes in terms of public plans and a lot of complexity in how people are accessing drugs," a CBC News report quoted federal Health Minister Patty Hajdu as saying, who made the announcement Wednesday in P.E.I. "This will enable P.E.I. to have the money and the commitment to continue to have the reforms it needs to make sure . . . people aren't denied access to medication." P.E.I. operates more than 25 public drug plans but the list of drugs covered under these plans is less comprehensive than those in other parts of the country, according to a Health Canada press release. As a result, islanders face some of the highest co-pays and deductibles for publicly covered medications. The announcement is welcome news for pharmacists, said Eric MacKenzie, executive director of the P.E.I. Pharmacists Association. "Pharmacists are our most accessible healthcare providers, and want to remove as many barriers to care as possible," she said in an emailed statement. "We look forward to hearing more details on today’s announcement, and to working with government toward the common goal of ensuring accessible access to healthcare services, including medications, in communities across the province." Read: Pharmacare proposal raises some serious questions Ernie Hudson, P.E.I.’s minister of health and wellness, said prescription drugs are "too costly" for many islanders. "It's vitally important that we take steps to change that," he said. “Making sure that everyone has access to the medication they need is a priority both for our government and for the government here on P.E.I., and I'm glad we're able to work together to bring down costs for folks right across the Island." The release said the federal government will “use early lessons” from the deal with P.E.I. to inform pharmacare implementation in the rest of Canada. Read: P.E.I. shortens interval between COVID-19 vaccines as infections rise across country

P.E.I. gets $35 million to cover more drugs and lower co-pays

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