The NDP says it has reached a deal with the governing Liberals to introduce the first piece of a national pharmacare program that includes coverage for birth control and diabetes medication. Allison Nimlos, of Minnesota, holds up her American bottle of NovoLog insulin and a Canadian box of NovoRapid, which she picked up at a Walmart pharmacy in London, Ont., Saturday, June 29, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Geoff Robins

By The Canadian Press

PHARMACARE

NDP says it has reached deal with Liberals on pharmacare bill as deadline looms

Feb 23, 2024 | 1:56 PM

The NDP says it has reached a deal with the governing Liberals to introduce the first piece of a national pharmacare program that includes coverage for birth control and diabetes medication.

The deal is a critical piece of the supply-and-confidence pact between the two parties and comes ahead of a March 1 deadline to table legislation.

An NDP spokesperson confirms the deal but says some final details may still be worked out over the weekend.

The deal includes full coverage for contraceptives in line with what British Columbia covers, which includes IUDs and emergency contraception.

It also includes all insulin for Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, as well as additional diabetes drugs and a fund for supplies such as glucose monitoring.

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The first deadline to reach a deal was pushed back in December, with both parties agreeing to extend it to March 1.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on Feb. 23, 2024.