Provincial drug coverage is increasing to reduce the copay eligible Islanders spend on many prescription medicines and to expand access to the Catastrophic Drug Program and the High Cost Drug Program.
The changes will happen through the federal-provincial Improving Access to Affordable Prescription Drugs (IAAPD) program to reduce out-of-pocket medication costs for Islanders 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 under the Seniors Drug, Family Health Benefit, Generic Drug and Diabetes Drug programs.
- Adjusting the Catastrophic Drug Program to lower the cap on the amount of money a household spends on eligible medications
- Modifying 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 ($340,000 annually)
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