Canada’s Bill C-64, An Act respecting pharmacare (the “Pharmacare Act”) received royal assent on October 10, 2024 and established a framework for national pharmacare. On February 27, 2025, the Hon. Mark Holland, Canada’s Minister of Health, announced that the federal government had entered into two bilateral agreements with the Government of Manitoba that will provide $267 million in federal funding to improve access to affordable medications for Manitobans. These are the first national pharmacare agreements made pursuant to the Pharmacare Act.
Under the agreement with Manitoba, the federal government will provide over $219 million over four years to facilitate universal coverage for contraceptives, as well as diabetes medications, and improve access to diabetes devices, and supplies for Manitobans. This coverage is expected to begin in June 2025.
In addition, the federal government will provide over $48 million to improve access to drugs for rare diseases, early diagnosis, and screening, under the National Strategy for Drugs for Rare Diseases.
Minister Holland is quoted as referring to this first national pharmacare agreement with Manitoba as a “landmark step in the journey to build the public healthcare system that Canadians deserve.”
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