Access to free birth control begins in British Columbia
Health-care providers are calling Saturday a "historic step for health care" in British Columbia, as the province begins offering free access to birth control.
Six different contraceptive methods are impacted, including IUDs, hormone injections and the morning-after pill.
In North Vancouver, Dr. Shideh Shadfar hadn’t seen any customers looking for the free birth control at her pharmacy by mid-afternoon, but believes the announcement is still too new.
“This increases the affordability and accessibility to all British Columbian residents, “ said Shadfar. “It will also help (people) to decrease costs and not to be worried about their contraceptives.”
According to the province, later this spring, pharmacists like Shadfar will have more responsibility.
"The great news is that in the summer pharmacists will have the ability to prescribe contraceptives without going to your doctor,” she said.
As the province struggles with a dire doctor shortage, the additional power for pharmacists comes as welcome news.
"Pharmacy students nowadays are graduating with doctor of pharmacy degrees, so it does increase the scope of practice for pharmacists and does decrease the burden on primary care physians because they're already so overworked,” said Alixandra Logan, a PharmD candidate student.
Before Saturday, the cost of hormonal birth control varied from around $25 for a box of pills to a one-time cost of more than $400 for IUDs.
Nurse practitioner Sara Eftekhar points out that vasectomies have been free in B.C. for years.
“It's a huge, historic day and a huge, historic win for reproductive rights,” Eftakhar said.
Contraceptives can be prescribed for reasons other than pregnancy prevention.
"I've had patients with (polycystic ovary syndrome), acne, people who have really debilitating periods or I have a lot of patients who have menopausal systems who use the patch, but the patch is not covered so they're really upset about that,” she said.
Next, she’d like to see fee menstrual products offered throughout the province.
The new savings is part of the NDP government’s platform.
Opposition parties in Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan are also promising free contraceptives if they’re elected.
B.C. will spend $119 million over the next three years for the new program.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
The pros and cons of discussing mental health issues in the workplace
A group of lawyers has written what they call a groundbreaking book about how mental health is perceived in the legal profession.
Explosion at train station leads to discovery of stolen car on Montreal's South Shore: police
Police are investigating after a BMW exploded in the St-Lambert Exo train station parking lot on Montreal's South Shore.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
A candidate for Germany's key party was beaten up while campaigning for European elections
A candidate for Chancellor Olaf Scholz's center-left party in next month's election for the European Parliament was beaten up and seriously injured while campaigning in an eastern city, the party said Saturday.
Two killed after collision with truck on Hwy. 417 near Limoges, Ont.
Ontario Provincial Police say two people were killed after a car and a transport truck collided in the westbound lanes of Highway 417 near Limoges, Ont. on Tuesday afternoon.