OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney announced Thursday that the federal government is dedicated to finalizing pharmacare agreements with all provinces and territories. This statement puts to rest months of uncertainty regarding the future of the pharmacare program.

At a press conference in Edmonton, Carney emphasized that these deals will be completed "as quickly and as equitably as possible." He stated, "Those are clear commitments and we will keep them."

The first phase of the national pharmacare program was launched last year, providing what the government describes as "universal, single-payer, first-dollar coverage" for contraceptives and certain diabetes medications at little or no cost to patients. The pharmacare law, passed last fall, mandated the federal government to negotiate funding agreements with provinces and territories for these medications. Additionally, it called for a study to determine the best approach to establish a universal pharmacare program that would cover all medications.

Currently, only Manitoba, British Columbia, Prince Edward Island, and Yukon have signed agreements. These four jurisdictions account for over 60 percent of the $1.5 billion allocated in the last budget to initiate the program. Earlier this summer, Health Minister Marjorie Michel indicated that the government was "in a new context" and did not guarantee further negotiations for additional agreements.

The Prime Minister's Office previously stated that the Liberals were committed to maintaining existing agreements made during the election campaign. However, Carney's office had not confirmed whether negotiations would extend to the remaining provinces and territories. Advocates for pharmacare expressed concerns about the lack of commitment, warning that a fragmented system could be inequitable.

Protests occurred outside a recent Liberal caucus meeting in Edmonton, where demonstrators urged the government to finalize the remaining agreements. A billboard was also erected near the Edmonton airport to draw attention to the issue. The Canadian Health Coalition, which helped organize the protest, described Carney's remarks as "a very positive step forward" in a statement.

Carney also noted that the upcoming federal budget will require difficult decisions to ensure the protection of social programs, including pharmacare, dental care, and child care agreements with provinces. He stated, "One of the core reasons why we’re taking tough decisions is for affordability and security for Canadians."

When asked about the potential expansion of pharmacare to a fully universal insurance program, as promised in the Liberals' 2019 election platform, Carney responded that this is "a different question."

Parliament is scheduled to resume on Monday, and the Liberals plan to introduce a federal budget in October. A committee of experts is expected to report on possible models for a universal pharmacare program by October 10, with the health minister anticipated to present the findings in Parliament.