Yukon's $9.5M pharmacare deal will cover birth control, diabetes medication

The Yukon and federal governments have signed off on a deal that will provide universal access to birth control and diabetes medications for Yukoners.

The pharmacare agreement, announced on Thursday, will see $9.5 million spent over four years. It will provide public coverage of contraceptives and diabetes medications, as well as improve access to diabetes devices and supplies.

"This will support the reproductive freedom of more than 12,000 Yukoners and make sure that over 3,000 residents with diabetes can access essential medications," reads a joint news release from the federal and territorial governments.

The coverage will begin for Yukoners sometime "not later than January 2026," the release states.

The deal with Yukon follows from the federal Pharmacare Act, which was passed last fall. The legislation allows the government to strike deals with provinces and territories to cover diabetes and birth-control medications as part of the public health system.

Yukon is the fourth jurisdiction to reach a pharmacare agreement with Canada, after Manitoba, B.C. and P.E.I. signed their own deals in recent weeks.

Earlier this week, the executive director of the Yukon Status of Women Council told CBC News that universal access to contraceptives was "an unmet need" in the territory.

"It's demonstrably something that could really help people, both financially and also with their family planning," said Rae Lamache.