Today, Sean Casey, Member of Parliament for Charlottetown, Heath MacDonald, Member of Parliament for Malpeque and Robert J. Morrissey, Member of Parliament for Egmont, on behalf of the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Canada's Minister of Health, and the Honourable Ernie Hudson , Minister of Health and Wellness for Prince Edward Island (PEI), announced expanded provincial drug coverage that will reduce the copay eligible Islanders spend on many prescription medicines, expand access to the Catastrophic Drug Program and increase access to the provincial High Cost Drug Program.
The changes announced today will use the federal-provincial Improving Access to Affordable Prescription Drugs program (IAAPD) to reduce Islanders' out-of-pocket costs for medications by an estimated $3,770,000 each year.
Over the coming months, program changes will include:
- Reducing copays for commonly prescribed, eligible medications to $5 for residents covered in the Seniors Drug Program, the Family Health Benefit Program, the Generic Drug Program and the Diabetes Drug Program. The list includes medications used in the management of mental health, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. The medications identified in this list represent about 60% of prescriptions that Islanders use on a regular basis. ($3,000,000 annually)
- Adjustment to the Catastrophic Drug Program to lower the cap on the amount of money a household spends on eligible medications, based on a percent of household income. ($430,000 annually)
- Adjustment to the High Cost Drug Program to remove barriers for those in the lowest income brackets, avoid duplication of income testing and remove the exclusion of households earning over $150,000 from coverage. ($340,000 annually)
These changes to lower out of pocket costs, along with significant recent additions to the drug formulary, will help eligible Island residents to have improved access to the medications they need to support their health in a more affordable manner.
The Department of Health and Wellness and Health PEI recently consulted with community and health advocacy groups to get guidance on implementation and improvement of drug coverage programs on Prince Edward Island.
