Charlottetown – No Canadian should have to choose between paying for prescription drugs and putting food on the table. Unfortunately, many are faced with this impossible decision every day. The Government of Canada recognizes that for many Canadians, the cost of their medication is an additional barrier to accessing the essential health care they need.
Mark Holland, Canada’s Minister of Health, and Mark V. McLane, Minister of Health and Wellness for Prince Edward Island (PEI), announced that PEI residents have saved over $675,000 out-of-pocket costs on more than 77,000 prescriptions.
In June 2023, PEI’s $5 copay program reduced copays for almost 60% of medications regularly used by Island residents for eligible medications used for cardiovascular disease, diabetes and mental health covered under the public drug programs. The High-Cost Drug Program was also modified to remove barriers making the program available to all income levels. In addition, in July 2023, PEI adjusted the Catastrophic Drug Program to lower the annual cap on the amount of money a household spends on eligible medications.
These latest improvements are an important milestone part of the Improving Affordable Access to Prescriptions Drugs (IAAPD) program that provides federal funding to PEI to improve access to and make prescriptions drugs more affordable for Island residents. Details on PEI’s support for the cost of prescription medication are available here.
This partnership between the Government of Canada and PEI continues to improve access and affordability to essential medication for those who experience the most vulnerability, including uninsured Island residents, seniors, and families with high burden of medication cost.
“For too many Canadians, the cost of medication is an additional barrier to accessing the health care they need. Since we announced the IAAPD program in August 2021, more PEI residents and families have benefited from a more affordable access to essential medications.” – Mark Holland, Minister of Health