QSA's Week in Healthcare (#1, 2024)
Pharmacare Act passes; Bill C-321 targets violence; opioid crisis initiatives; Indigenous health funding; breast cancer screening critique.
Start Date: 2024-10-05
End Date: 2024-10-11
Top Headlines
Main Stories
Pharmacare Act Receives Royal Assent
The Canadian government has enacted the Pharmacare Act, marking the first phase of a national universal pharmacare program. The Act ensures universal access to contraception and diabetes medications, aiming to benefit up to nine million women and gender diverse people, as well as 3.7 million Canadians with diabetes. The Act mandates Canada's Drug Agency to compile an essential drug list to guide the development of a national formulary. This legislation is a significant step towards improving health equity and affordability, with the government consulting provinces, territories, and Indigenous Peoples on the program's future development.
Sources: ['Announcements: www.canada.ca']
