---
title: "Get help paying for prescription drugs (pharmacare)"
url: "https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/prescription-drug-coverage"
description: "Get help paying for prescription drugs (pharmacare) in Canada: run by each province and territory. Who handles it in all 13 provinces and territories."
site: "Canada Service Map"
author: "Mahmoud Halat"
publisher: "Space & Story"
lastReviewed: "2026-10-12"
licence: "Built entirely from public data: open data and official government pages. Each record keeps the licence of its source, listed at https://canadaservicemap.ca/data."
---
# Get help paying for prescription drugs (pharmacare)

Provincial or territorial service · Health

Compiled by Mahmoud Halat, checked 12 October 2026. Not a government website. The official page always has the final word.

## Short answer

Each province and territory has a public drug plan, often for seniors, people on assistance, and anyone with high drug costs compared to income.

Each province and territory runs its own. Find yours in the table below.

## In every province and territory

Who handles it in each province and territory, with the official link.

| Province or territory | Who handles it | Official link | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| [British Columbia](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/prescription-drug-coverage/british-columbia) | BC PharmaCare (Ministry of Health) | [Fair PharmaCare](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/health-drug-coverage/pharmacare-for-bc-residents/who-we-cover/fair-pharmacare-plan), checked 12 October 2026 |  |
| [Alberta](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/prescription-drug-coverage/alberta) | Alberta Health drug programs (administered by Alberta Blue Cross) | [Drug coverage and benefits](https://www.alberta.ca/drug-coverage-health-benefits), checked 12 October 2026 |  |
| [Saskatchewan](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/prescription-drug-coverage/saskatchewan) | Saskatchewan Drug Plan (Ministry of Health) | [Saskatchewan Drug Plan](https://www.saskatchewan.ca/residents/health/prescription-drug-plans-and-health-coverage/extended-benefits-and-drug-plan/saskatchewan-drug-plan), checked 12 October 2026 |  |
| [Manitoba](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/prescription-drug-coverage/manitoba) | Manitoba Pharmacare (Manitoba Health) | [How to apply](https://www.gov.mb.ca/health/pharmacare/apply.html), checked 12 October 2026 | Apply by sending the signed paper application to Manitoba Health; there is no online application. |
| [Ontario](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/prescription-drug-coverage/ontario) | Ontario Drug Benefit program (Ministry of Health) | [Get drug coverage](https://www.ontario.ca/page/get-coverage-prescription-drugs), checked 12 October 2026 | Seniors and people 24 or under without private insurance are covered automatically; others with high drug costs apply to the Trillium Drug Program. |
| [Quebec](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/prescription-drug-coverage/quebec) | Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ), public prescription drug insurance plan | [Health and drug insurance](https://www.quebec.ca/en/health/health-system-and-services/insurance-schemes/health-insurance-prescription-drug-insurance), checked 12 October 2026 | If you can join a private group plan through work or a spouse, you must take it instead of the RAMQ plan. |
| [New Brunswick](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/prescription-drug-coverage/new-brunswick) | New Brunswick Drug Plans (Department of Health) | [Enrol in the NB Drug Plan](https://www.gnb.ca/en/topic/health-wellness/nb-drug-plans/enrol-drug-plan.html), checked 12 October 2026 |  |
| [Nova Scotia](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/prescription-drug-coverage/nova-scotia) | Nova Scotia Pharmacare (Department of Health and Wellness) | [Pharmacare programs](https://www.novascotia.ca/programs-and-services/pharmacare), checked 12 October 2026 | Seniors 65 and over use the Seniors' Pharmacare Program instead. |
| [Prince Edward Island](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/prescription-drug-coverage/prince-edward-island) | PEI Pharmacare (Department of Health and Wellness, Government of PEI) | None on record |  |
| [Newfoundland and Labrador](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/prescription-drug-coverage/newfoundland-and-labrador) | Newfoundland and Labrador Prescription Drug Program (NLPDP), Department of Health and Community Services | [How to apply](https://www.gov.nl.ca/hcs/prescription/how-do-i-apply/), checked 12 October 2026 | Only the Access and Assurance plans need an application; other plans enrol you automatically. |
| [Yukon](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/prescription-drug-coverage/yukon) | Government of Yukon (Health and Social Services) | None on record | No general drug plan: coverage depends on being 65 or older or having a listed chronic disease or disability. |
| [Northwest Territories](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/prescription-drug-coverage/northwest-territories) | Extended Health Benefits (Department of Health and Social Services) | [Apply for Extended Health Benefits](https://www.hss.gov.nt.ca/en/services/applyingrenewing-extended-health-benefits), checked 12 October 2026 | Seniors 60 and over apply once; others reapply each year by September 1. |
| [Nunavut](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/prescription-drug-coverage/nunavut) | Nunavut Department of Health (Extended Health Benefits); federal NIHB for Inuit | [Extended Health Benefits](https://www.gov.nu.ca/en/health/extended-health-benefits), checked 12 October 2026 | Inuit get drug coverage through the federal NIHB program; other residents may qualify for Extended Health Benefits. |

## More

- [Go to an emergency room](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/emergency-room)
- [See a doctor without an appointment](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/walk-in-clinic)
- [Canadian Dental Care Plan](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/dental-care)
- [Get help in a mental health crisis (call or text 988)](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/mental-health-crisis)
- [First Nations and Inuit health benefits (NIHB)](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/first-nations-health-benefits)
- [Check product, food and vehicle recalls](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/product-recalls)

## Cite this page

Canada Service Map, "Get help paying for prescription drugs (pharmacare)", checked 12 October 2026, https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/prescription-drug-coverage