Treatment coverage in your region

Prescription Drug Programs in Saskatchewan

In Saskatchewan, you may be able to get help paying for your prescription drugs through the Saskatchewan Drug Plan, which is sometimes simply called the Drug Plan. The Drug Plan has many programs to help cover the cost of your prescription drugs. To apply for any of them, you must have a health card from Saskatchewan Health.

The Drug Plan programs that can help cover the cost of your prescription drugs include:

• Family Health Benefits
  Helps you pay for health services, such as prescription drugs, dental and eye care, if you have a low income and have a child under the age of 18.

• Income Supplements
  Helps you pay for your prescription drugs if you get the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) and the Seniors’ Income Plan (SIP).

• Supplementary Health Program
  Helps you pay for your prescription drugs if you get financial assistance from the Saskatchewan Assistance Program (SAP). You may have to pay $2 for each prescription you fill.

• Special Support Program 
  Covers some or all of the cost of expensive prescription drugs, including hepatitis C medications, if you don’t make a lot of money. The amount you pay for your drugs depends on your income. 

• Emergency Prescription Drug Assistance 
  Helps pay for some of your prescription drugs if you need medicine right away and you don’t have money to pay for it.

• Saskatchewan Aids to Independent Living (SAIL)
  Pays for prescription drugs if you’re part of the Paraplegia Program, the Chronic End-Stage Renal Disease Program, the Ostomy Program, the Aids to the Blind Program or the Cystic Fibrosis Program.

• Children’s Drug Program
  Ensures that families with children 14 years old and younger do not pay more than $15 for each prescription drug they need for their children. You don’t need to apply to this program.

• Palliative Care Drug Plan Program  Pays for your prescription drugs if you’re in the late stages of a terminal illness.

• Seniors’ Drug Plan 
  Makes sure that you do not pay more than $15 for each prescription drug if you’re 65 or older, have a low income and don’t have another drug plan to pay for your medications.

Getting My Hepatitis C Medications

The amount of help you can get when it comes to paying for your hepatitis C medications depends on which drug program you have.  If you’re part of a drug program listed above, you can apply to have your hepatitis C medications paid for. If you get financial assistance through the Saskatchewan Assistance Program (SAP), the Supplementary Health Program will pay for your hepatitis C medications. If your income is low, you may be interested in the Special Support Program, which can help you pay for your medications even if you already have other health benefits. 

In Saskatchewan, hepatitis C medications have what is called Exception Drug Status. This means that no matter what drug program you have, you will need to ask your doctor to fill out and send in a request form to the Exception Drug Status department in order to get your hepatitis C medications covered. The department will send you and your doctor a letter to tell you if the request is approved. If it’s approved, you will be able to get your hepatitis C medications at the pharmacy in the same way that you get your other prescription drugs.

If you would like more information about the different drug programs in Saskatchewan, you can call the Drug Plan and Extended Benefits office at (306) 787-3420 in Regina or toll-free at 1-800-667-7581.

If you’re a registered First Nations or recognized Inuit person, the Non-Insured Health Benefits (NIHB) Program may be able to help you pay for your hepatitis C medications.  You can contact NIHB by phone or mail at:

Non-Insured Health Benefits – Saskatchewan Region
First Nations and Inuit Health
Health Canada
2045 Broad Street, 4th Floor
Regina, Saskatchewan
S4P 3T7

Tel: (306) 780-8294
Toll-free: 1-800-667-3515