The federal government called on a group of five experts to chart a path toward universal drug coverage program.
Dr. Nav Persaud, holder of the Canada Research Chair in Health Justice, will chair a committee composed of various health professionals responsible for advising the government on the next steps for the program.
The Liberals and the NDP negotiated the content of a drug insurance bill as part of their now-defunct Supply and Confidence Agreement.
The invoice became law on October 10and allows the federal government to sign agreements with provinces and territories to begin providing free access to contraceptives and diabetes medications.
Furthermore, the committee of experts will make recommendations for the creation of a universal, single-payer pharmacare program.
The committee will submit a report to the Minister of Health by October 10, 2025, and this report will be sent to Parliament.
Experts include Linda Silas, president of the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions; Amy Lamb, Executive Director of Indigenous Pharmacy Professionals of Canada; Dr. Stéphane Ahern, clinical associate professor at the University of Montreal; and Dr. Steve Morgan, an expert on drug benefit systems at the University of British Columbia.
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The committee will collaborate with provinces and territories, Indigenous groups and experts in preparing the report.
In a press release, the NDP said it welcomed the appointment of the committee.
The federal Conservatives have said they would reject a single-payer pharmacare plan if they formed government.
The Conservative governments of Alberta and Ontario have also expressed skepticism about signing initial agreements with the Liberal government.
Health Minister Mark Holland said he hopes to reach agreements with all provinces and territories by next spring to begin covering birth control and diabetes medications.
British Columbia has already signed a memorandum of understanding to provide this coverage. Manitoba’s NDP government began covering prescription birth control on Oct. 1 and has expressed interest in striking a deal with Ottawa.
This initial program is a universal, first-dollar, single-payer model, according to Holland, meaning patients will not pay for the drugs. People with a private health plan that covers medications can choose to use their health coverage or the federal plan.
But when asked last month about the structure of the national program, Holland declined to speculate on whether it would be a mixed-payer system or a single-payer system.
Instead, he said the panel would be tasked with determining what type of system would work best.