New Brunswick’s healthcare landscape is no stranger to the spotlight as the province continues to navigate the lack of universal drug coverage. The absence of universal pharmacare has tragic consequences such as increased rates of unplanned pregnancies and avoidable hospital admissions due to inadequate access to medications. Premier Susan Holt, during her campaign for the 2024 election, pledged to provide free contraceptives, highlighting a growing awareness of healthcare accessibility issues in the region.
Though they’ve made this commitment, the current Liberal government in New Brunswick has been lukewarm at best toward the rollout of pharmacare. Health Minister John Dornan was recently quoted regarding his disappointment over the federal government’s proposal. In particular, he said it’s inadequate when it comes to the costs necessary to build a robust pharmacare program in the province. He argued that New Brunswickers already have quite good drug coverage, an assertion that has been greeted with raised eyebrows.
Advocates point out that New Brunswick’s current drug coverage is insufficient, especially for marginalized communities. Since at least 2016, diabetes patients and public health advocates have sounded the alarm over the high cost of maintaining their life-sustaining treatment. Take, for example, those living with Type-1 diabetes, which come with an average annual cost of over $18,000 just for the medications and supplies they require. These costs leave much of the area’s low-income residents in a bind. They are forced to decide whether to purchase food and pay for housing or afford life-changing health interventions.
Dornan’s claim that New Brunswickers are adequately covered has been refuted. According to the Canadian Health Coalition, one in ten Canadians sometimes skip taking their medications because they are too expensive. This statistic resonates deeply in New Brunswick, where advocates argue that the current system fails to protect those in need.
Adding to the complexity of New Brunswick’s healthcare situation, Dornan warned that the health insurance industry could react negatively to the province’s pharmacare discussions. He cautioned that private coverage for Ozempic could soon be on the chopping block. This drug is essential to the effective management of Type-2 diabetes.
“What we understand is that [insurance companies] are threatening to not cover Ozempic for private plan holders, which would force the provincial government to shoulder that burden,” – Steven Staples, a policy analyst with the Canadian Health Coalition.
The potential loss of private coverage for Ozempic could create a significant financial gap in the healthcare system, further complicating access to essential medications. Right now, Ottawa does not cover anything like Ozempic, putting thousands of New Brunswick residents in a dangerous limbo.
New Brunswick’s government has issued vague statements indicating that Ottawa’s pharmacare proposal does not align with the province’s existing drug plan. This inability to coalesce is a troubling departure from the regionalism seen throughout the country. Manitoba, British Columbia, Prince Edward Island, and Yukon have all reached successfully negotiated pharmacare agreements with the federal government.
“While we support the principle of national pharmacare, the current federal proposal does not align with New Brunswick’s well-established and effective system,” – Statement attributed to the province of New Brunswick.
This position further begs the question of the province’s overall plan for pharmacare and drug coverage in the long-term. Now, activists and public health advocates highlight the critical moment we are in to reshaping our healthcare system so that everybody, everywhere can afford the medications they need.
Sophie knows that access to contraception is a no-brainer. She argues that it is “an absolute bare minimum” for the people of New Brunswick. This sentiment is shared by so many of us who feel left out of the new healthcare ecosystem.
The ongoing campaign by the Canadian Health Coalition and its New Brunswick counterpart seeks to advocate for comprehensive pharmacare solutions. Their advocacy highlights the increasing need for reform as more people are forced to live with the damaging effects of insufficient drug coverage.
Negotiations are still continuing between the provincial and federal governments. Advocates are confident that these conversations will lead to concrete actions to improve New Brunswick’s healthcare policies for everyone. The stakes are game-changing! Without strong federal leadership on pharmacare, millions of Canadians will continue to be unable to afford the medications and treatments that they need.
