ottawa –
The Pharmacare Bill, which was the centerpiece of a political deal between the Liberals and the National Democratic Party, became law on Thursday after the Senate passed it without any changes.
The vote was quickly taken and Royal Assent was given on Thursday night.
This legislation will influence the creation of future national and universal pharmacare plans.
It would also allow the government to enter into agreements with states and territories to cover diabetes and contraceptives as part of the public health system.
“This will be truly transformative for millions of Canadians,” Health Minister Mark Holland said in a video posted to social media Thursday night after the vote.
The language and content of this bill was carefully negotiated as part of the now-defunct Supply and Confidence Agreement between the NDP and the Liberals.
“This is what Tommy Douglas always envisioned when he pushed for universal health care more than half a century ago,” NDP health critic Peter Julian said in an interview Thursday.
“Canada is the only country with universal health care, but without universal health care.”
British Columbia already has a memorandum of understanding with Ottawa to start a diabetes and contraceptive program in the province.
The Netherlands hopes to have all states and territories on board by next spring.
“We’ve already seen interest from provinces like British Columbia and Manitoba, which means we should be able to conclude an agreement quickly and start supporting the drug,” Julien said.
The new law calls on the government to convene an expert panel within the next month to examine the next steps towards establishing a full-fledged pharmacare program.
The committee has one year to report its recommendations to the Minister of Health.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 10, 2024.
