Portagers will be able to breathe a little easier knowing prescription drugs won't be on the rise as of yet.

The Manitoba government announced on March 31st that, for the 2023-24 benefit year starting on April 1st, they would freeze deductible rates for the Manitoba Pharmacare Program.

Program participants pay a portion of the cost of eligible prescription drugs, known as the pharmacare deductible. This deductible would've risen by six per cent if the rate freeze wasn't implemented.

Caitlin Giercke, owner of Pharmasave says this freeze is excellent news.

"With what patients are paying out of pocket, it can be very challenging," explains Giercke. "especially with other things being expensive. Groceries and things like that. It's definitely a tricky time."

She adds that it can be stressful for people at times when they receive their letter detailing the pharmacare rate, which can sometimes make them think that they need to go to their pharmacist and cut a cheque for hundreds, maybe thousands of dollars. Giercke says that won't be the case, and you'd just need to pay it down as you collect your prescriptions throughout the year.

"How the pharmacare program works is it's a deductible based on your income from two years prior," notes Giercke. "So, for the last couple of years, it's been a little bit different for patients because a lot of things changed through the pandemic such as work and staffing. To pay a deductible that was based on two years ago has been very challenging for some patients for sure."

To see the full press release from the Government of Manitoba, click here.

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