• How does P.E.I. decide which drugs to cover? It’s more complicated than you might think

  Source: Prince Edward Island - Regional News
  Date: 2026-10-10 09:00:00.0
  Tags: [Prince Edward Island, National, Healthcare, Affordability, Finance]

  The federal government has renewed the Improving Affordable Access to Prescription Drugs program (IAAPD) for Prince Edward Island with $32 million in funding over three years. The program, which launched as a pilot in 2021, has helped add more than 100 medications to P.E.I.'s public formulary and lowered patient co-payments to $5 for many eligible drugs. In addition to the IAAPD, P.E.I. participates in the federal pharmacare program covering specific diabetes medications, supplies, and contraceptives. The multi-step drug coverage process involves Health Canada authorization, price reviews by the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board, cost-effectiveness evaluations by Canada's Drug Agency, collective price bargaining by the Pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance, and final provincial formulary decisions.

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• Health, higher fuel costs drive $440.4M deficit forecast in P.E.I.'s fiscal and economic update

  Source: Prince Edward Island - Regional News
  Date: 2026-09-28 22:25:02.0
  Tags: [Prince Edward Island, Finance, Healthcare, Economy, Affordability]

  The Government of Prince Edward Island, led by Finance and Affordability Minister Jill Burridge, released its first-quarter fiscal and economic update for 2026-27, projecting a deficit of $440.4 million. This represents a $30.5 million increase from the operating budget tabled in April, driven by an additional $53.4 million in spending primarily directed toward healthcare, social program funding, and higher diesel and heating fuel costs. Despite the increased deficit and spending pressures, the province reported improving economic indicators, including a 7.1 per cent year-to-date growth in labour income and retail sales, alongside a 24.6 per cent increase in housing starts.

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