Canada Pharmacare in BC? Maybe by March 2026
"Out-of-pocket costs were as high as $18,306 per year for people living with Type 1 diabetes."
On March 6, 2025, the BC government released the big news that they signed an agreement with the federal government about Canada-wide pharmacare.
It says we can expect this to take effect in March 2026.
It's been a long time coming and it also looks like it will cover "diabetes medications, devices and supplies," which likely means CGMs and insulin pumps, hopefully.
Well, let's see what happens next year.
And here's this nugget of information:
In 2022, Diabetes Canada determined that out-of-pocket costs were as high as $18,306 per year for people living with Type 1 diabetes and as high as $10,014 per year for those living with Type 2 diabetes.
Ouch!
And so on the ground, I am currently paying in full for what I need to survive.
This has happened before, when I didn’t have the luxury of an employer benefits plan. Yes, this is in Canada where most people think we already have it.
On the canada.ca website1 you can find this information2:
About 3.8 million people in Canada have been diagnosed with diabetes. In 2018, costs to the healthcare system related to diabetes were estimated at $27 billion, and they could surpass $39 billion by 2028.
Pharmacare agreements with provinces and territories will ensure that if you have diabetes, you'll generally have free access to medications like:
Metformin, which can cost about $100 per year
Insulin, which can cost between $900 and $1,700 per year
Sulfonylureas and SGLT-2 inhibitors, which can cost from $100 to over $1,000 per year
Coverage for diabetes medications and supplies currently varies widely across Canada. All provinces and territories cover many of the commonly-prescribed drugs, but the cost to patients can vary greatly.
We'll also set up a fund for provinces and territories to help you access the supplies you need to:
administer your medication, such as insulin pumps and syringes
manage and monitor your condition, such as glucose monitors and test strips
I look forward to it.
Waiting for Godot
Here’s a Global News interview with how it will roll out in Canada:
What Pharmacare expansion means for Canadians
Yes, Manitoba was first to sign it. The process behind this “may appear slow…” and it’s a “matter of fundamental justice…”
Quebec and Alberta are still opting out at this point.
Why not share Time in Range?
Thank you for reading!
Until next week, dear readers.
Health Canada (March 6, 2025) Government of Canada signs pharmacare agreement with British Columbia to improve universal access to free medications
Health Canada (Updated March 12, 2025) About national pharmacare