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Press Release - February 6, 2025
AccessBC Campaign Launches Letter Writing Campaign Urging Province to Sign Pharmacare Agreement with the Federal Government
On Wednesday, February 12, 2025, as part of SexPlus Week (formerly Sexual Health Week), the AccessBC Campaign will launch a new letter writing campaign urging the BC government to work towards finalizing a pharmacare agreement with the federal government as soon as possible.
In October of last year, the federal Parliament adopted Bill C-64, an Act respecting pharmacare, which promises to make prescription contraception and diabetes medication free for all Canadians. Provinces must now enter into formal agreements with the federal government concerning the implementation of this legislation. However, delays could put the implementation of this national pharmacare program at risk.
A November 14, 2024 article from the Hill Times indicated that, more than a month after Bill C-64 received royal assent, many jurisdictions have not yet been contacted by the federal government about implementing a pharmacare agreement. More than three months after the adoption of Bill C-64 and with a looming federal election, no agreements have been signed.
“The federal Conservatives have vowed to scrap the national pharmacare plan if elected, unwinding critical progress and imperilling the health and well-being of millions of Canadians,” said Teale Phelps Bondaroff, AccessBC Campaign Chair and co-founder. “With a federal election imminent, it is critical that BC sign a pharmacare agreement with the federal government now. We need to lock this important legislation so it cannot be undone.”
“As the only high-income country with universal healthcare but without universal prescription drug coverage, this national pharmacare plan represents an enormous step forward in protecting Canadians’ health and advancing gender equality,” said Devon Black, AccessBC Campaign co-founder. “It’s critical that BC move quickly to implement a pharmacare agreement - every delay impacts Canadians who struggle to access these life-saving and life-changing medications.”
In April, 2023, BC became the first Canadian province to make prescription contraception free. In the first 15 months of the program, 252,000 British Columbians accessed free prescription contraception. On September 12, 2024, the government of BC signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the federal government regarding universal, single-payer, first-dollar coverage for select contraception and diabetes medications, but a formal agreement has yet to be signed. Per the MOU, a pharmacare agreement between BC and Canada would also fund universal, single-payer coverage, first-dollar for hormone replacement therapy to treat symptoms of menopause. AccessBC’s letter writing campaign targets BC MLAs and calls on the BC government to finalize a formal pharmacare agreement with the federal government as soon as possible.
“Our letter writing campaign urges the provincial government to accelerate and conclude pharmacare negotiations with the federal government,” said Phelps Bondaroff. “Not only will this help increase access to hormone replacement therapy for thousands of British Columbians, but it will also inspire other provinces to follow suit. It is critical that these agreements get locked in before a federal election disrupts and potential derails the roll out of a national Pharmacare plan.”
Contraception Access in Canada and Background
The cost of prescription contraception can be significant, and falls disproportionately on women and people who can get pregnant. A hormonal IUD can cost $500, an implant $350, oral contraceptive pills cost at least $240 per year, and hormone injections as much as $180 per year. In addition to helping prevent unplanned pregnancies, people take contraception for a wide range of reasons, including treating chronic gynaecological conditions, like ovarian cysts and endometriosis, and gender affirming care.Canadian contraceptive care providers have identified cost as the single most important barrier to access, and youth as the population most disproportionately affected by this barrier.
Studies have found that free prescription contraception is a revenue-positive policy. Dr. Wendy Norman, from UBC’s Contraception and Abortion Research Team’s Contraception Cost-effectiveness modelling project team, estimated that the policy would save the BC health system $27 million, or over $5 per BC resident, per year. A 2015 study in the Canadian Association Medical Journal estimated that if this policy were rolled out across Canada, it would save governments $320 million a year, and this is just in the form of direct medical costs associated with unintended pregnancy.
On April 1, 2023, British Columbia became the first province to make prescription contraception free. This policy covers a wide range of contraceptives, including pills, injections, implants, IUDs, and emergency contraception. In November 2023, Manitoba announced that it would be adopting the policy. The recently announced first phase of the national pharmacare plan will provide universal, single-payer coverage for a range of contraception and diabetes medications.
In BC, this policy has already improved access to contraceptives for thousands of residents. A recent article in the Martlet reported that in the first 15 months of the program, 252,000 British Columbians access free prescription contraception: 152,200 patients accessed hormonal pills, 48,200 accessed hormonal IUDs, 9,500 patients received hormonal injections, 7,500 received a copper IUD, 7,400 had an implant, and 2,000 received a vaginal ring.
The policy has helped increase contraception usage. Recent research from UBC found that by June 2024, of the 80,200 people in BC using long-acting reversible contraceptives (such as IUDs and implants), and 11,400 of these people would not have been had the government not enacted free prescription contraception. This research also found that the number of people using any form of prescription contraception also increased by 10%. And the policy has also reduced the number of people paying out of pocket for prescription contraception, from 37% before the policy was implemented, to only 13% in June 2024.