Diabetes Canada concerned about how much supplies could cost Islanders

Gwyneth Egan · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 14, 2025 5:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 11 minutes ago

Diabetes Canada is excited astir Prince Edward Island's caller pharmacare woody with the national government, but hopes the state volition reevaluate copays connected diabetes supplies, says a elder manager with the organization. 

The pharmacare woody volition supply much than $30 cardinal implicit 4 years to assistance wage for diabetes medicine and supplies, arsenic good arsenic contraceptives for Islanders.

"Seeing that determination was existent allocated funds to the instrumentality money successful P.E.I…. was euphony to our ears and for the many, galore Islanders who unrecorded with diabetes and their families," said Laura O'Driscoll, elder manager of argumentation with Diabetes Canada. 

While the woody expands sum for diabetes supplies, it doesn't screen each costs completely. 

Insulin trial strips, for example, volition inactive necessitate an $11 copay. 

"Eleven dollars seems similar a beauteous infinitesimal magnitude of wealth but… truthful galore radical with diabetes unrecorded with aggregate chronic conditions" said O'Driscoll.

"When you adhd everything up — $11 here, $11 determination for radical — that's a batch of money, particularly present with the outgo of living," O'Driscoll said. 

Copay volition stay 

A container of 100 trial strips tin outgo betwixt $80 and $100 dollars. Federal backing volition screen 200 to 300 trial strips per year, leaving the diligent with an $11 copay, the Department of Health and Wellness said successful an email statement. 

"There is nary existent program to region the $11 copay, nevertheless if patients besides person backstage security those plans tin perchance little the copay further," said the statement.

Diabetes devices and supplies are not taxable to the aforesaid "universal, single-payer, first-dollar sum parameters acceptable retired for contraceptives and diabetes medications," said Health Canada officials successful an email.

"Deductibles and copays are permitted for diabetes devices and supplies."

Looking ahead 

Diabetes Canada is inactive looking into the finer details of the caller pharmacare woody and however sum volition enactment for different devices and supplies, O'Driscoll said.

The radical is anxious to enactment with the authorities to stock what they perceive from Islanders with diabetes, and to supply accusation connected the golden modular for policy, she said. 

"We're hoping that what this concern volition amusement the authorities is that erstwhile you put successful chronic illness absorption that you'll spot those outgo savings longer term," she said. 

"It means reduced hospitalizations, reduced exigency country visits, and… hopefully investing successful strategies to trim the important fig of diabetes cases that we spot successful P.E.I. and crossed Canada."