Manitoba becomes first province to join national pharmacare program with $219M deal

Manitoba became the first province to officially join Ottawa's pharmacare program on Thursday, giving it access to federal funding to cover the cost of birth control and diabetes medications.

"This is the beginning of a journey that cannot end," Health Minister Mark Holland said at the announcement in Winnipeg.

"There's no room for politics in this. It's just logic. It's the thing we must do for this country."

The deal will see federal government spend $219 million on pharmacare coverage for Manitoba over four years.

Contraceptives and diabetes medications will be provided "at little to no direct cost" to Manitobans, according to a press release.

Hormone replacement therapy for menopause will also be covered under the agreement.

The Manitoba government launched a program last fall to cover the cost of birth control for its residents.

The federal Pharmacare Act became law in October, setting the stage for Ottawa to begin negotiations with provinces and territories.

The initial phase of the program provides coverage for diabetes and birth control drugs while a year-long study determines the best path toward a full universal pharmacare program.

The legislation was a key part of the supply-and-confidence agreement between the Liberals and the NDP that kept the Liberal minority government in power for more than two years.

Coverage in Manitoba is expected to begin in June — likely after a federal election that could begin next month, once the Liberals have chosen their new leader.

"I wish we could snap our fingers and do these things, but there's a lot of logistics," Holland said when asked why the coverage won't begin sooner.

He added "there are people who want this to die" and said that's why the federal government wants to be "flawless" in its execution of the program.

"If this is going to be enduring, it has to be done right," he said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 27, 2025.