BC and Ottawa have inked a deal to provide a range of contraceptives and diabetes medications to BC residents at little to no cost.
Provincial health minister Josie Osborne and her federal counterpart, Mark Holland, signed a four year pharmacare agreement worth more than $670 million.
It will give BC residents public coverage for a range of contraceptives and diabetes medications, and improve access to diabetes devices and supplies.
BC will also enhance pharmacare coverage by covering hormone replacement therapy to treat menopausal symptoms.
Osborne says they’re committed to making essential healthcare more accessible.
She says BC was the first province in Canada to provide free contraception, and is now expanding public coverage to include free medication for diabetes and menopausal symptoms.
However, people will not be able take advantage of the coverage until March of next year.
Federal NPD leader Jagmeet Singh says the delay in federal funding is a “bogus delay” on the part of the Liberals.
He says parliament approved $1.5 billion for pharmacare-covered medications for people in 2024-25.
Singh says the money is there and British Columbians should not continue paying out of pocket for another year to get the medicines they need.
– Files from My Kootenay Now staff
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