30 July 2019 - Quebec’s universal pharmacare program offers better drug coverage and quicker approval for new drugs coming to market than the rest of Canada, according to a new study by the Fraser Institute.

Looking at drugs approved by Health Canada between 2008 and 2017, the report found Quebec went on to cover 33.4% of them, compared to an average of 26.5% in the rest of Canada.

It also takes Quebec far less time to begin covering drugs approved by Health Canada, at an average of 477 days in comparison to an average of 674 days in other provinces. Quebec’s formulary, which covers more than 8,000 prescription drugs, is also more generous than other provinces, giving patients access to a wider range of drug options than they might get in another province. As a comparison, the report noted Ontario’s Drug Benefit formulary covers 4,400 drugs.

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