Governments of Canada and Prince Edward Island Continue Work to Save Islanders Millions Under Expanded Coverage

CHARLOTTETOWN, PE, March 3, 2023 /CNW/ - Today, Sean Casey, Member of Parliament for Charlottetown, Heath MacDonald, Member of Parliament for Malpeque and Robert J. Morrissey, Member of Parliament for Egmont, on behalf of the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Canada's Minister of Health, and the Honourable Ernie Hudson, Minister of Health and Wellness for Prince Edward Island (PEI), announced expanded provincial drug coverage that will reduce the copay eligible Islanders spend on many prescription medicines, expand access to the Catastrophic Drug Program and increase access to the provincial High Cost Drug Program.

The changes announced today will use the federal-provincial Improving Access to Affordable Prescription Drugs program (IAAPD) to reduce Islanders' out-of-pocket costs for medications by an estimated $3,770,000 each year.

Over the coming months, program changes will include:

• Reducing copays for commonly prescribed, eligible medications to $5 for residents covered in the Seniors Drug Program, the Family Health Benefit Program, the Generic Drug Program and the Diabetes Drug Program. The list includes medications used in the management of mental health, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. The medications identified in this list represent about 60% of prescriptions that Islanders use on a regular basis. ($3,000,000 annually)
  
  
• Adjustment to the Catastrophic Drug Program to lower the cap on the amount of money a household spends on eligible medications, based on a percent of household income. ($430,000 annually)
  
  
• Adjustment to the High Cost Drug Program to remove barriers for those in the lowest income brackets, avoid duplication of income testing and remove the exclusion of households earning over $150,000 from coverage. ($340,000 annually)

These changes to lower out of pocket costs, along with significant recent additions to the drug formulary, will help eligible Island residents to have improved access to the medications they need to support their health in a more affordable manner.  

The Department of Health and Wellness and Health PEI recently consulted with community and health advocacy groups to get guidance on implementation and improvement of drug coverage programs on Prince Edward Island.

"For too many Canadians, the cost of their medication can be an additional barrier to accessing health care. The changes announced today, through this partnership between the Governments of Canada and Prince Edward Island, will significantly reduce the out-of-pocket costs of eligible PEI residents to access a wide range of medication. Every Canadian deserves accessible, high-quality health care, where and when they need it."

The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos
Canada's Minister of Health

"Too many Islanders can't afford the prescription drugs they need. Since its announcement in August 2021, this collaborative program between our two governments has been important in improving the affordability and accessibility of prescription drugs for Islanders, helping them live a healthier life."

The Honourable Lawrence MacAulay
Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence

"We recognize that there are opportunities to improve both access and affordability to prescription medications for Island residents. This latest investment will build upon the other recent improvements that the IAAPD has allowed us to make to our province's drug cost assistance programming. These changes will help make eligible medications more accessible for Islanders."

The Honourable Ernie Hudson
Minister of Health and Wellness, Government of Prince Edward Island

Quick Facts

• This initiative was announced in August 2021, and the subsequent funding agreement was signed in March 2022.
• With this agreement, PEI is receiving $35 million over four years (2021-22 to 2024-25) in federal funding to improve access to and make prescriptions drugs more affordable.
• This funding is in addition to the concrete steps the government is taking toward the implementation of national universal pharmacare, as outlined in Budget 2022.
• In June 2022, the Government of Canada and PEI announced a suite of substance use treatment medications to be available, at no cost, to Island residents under the Improving Affordable Access to Prescriptions Drugs Program.
• In August 2022, PEI strengthened community mental health services with the addition of second generation long acting antipsychotic medications, as requested by local care providers, to the Community Mental Health program. Other improvements include changes to special authorization requirements for 23 medications on the Pharmacare formulary that allowed greater ease of access for physicians seeking to provide medications to PEI residents.
• In December 2022, the Government of Canada and PEI added another suite of medications to the PEI formulary, including two important medications, Zejula® (niraparib tosylate) and Lynparza® (olaparib), for treating ovarian cancer.

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Government of Canada and Prince Edward Island Improving Access to Medication for Islanders

SOURCE Health Canada