
Ontario Public Drug Programs

Publicly Funded Drug Programs
Each year, 2.8 million people receive $3.8 billion in drug benefits from Ontario Public Drug Programs. This coverage is provided through four provincial drug plans :
- Ontario Drug Benefit (ODB) Program
Drug benefits for Ontarians aged 65 and older, residents of long-term care homes and homes for special care, recipients of professional home services and social assistance and recipients of the Trillium Drug Program.
- Trillium Drug Program
Drug benefits to Ontario residents that have high drug costs in relation to their household income. Any Ontario resident that does not qualify under any of the other plans can apply for the Trillium Drug Program.
- Special Drugs Program
Drug benefits for Ontarians with a valid Health Card for certain expensive outpatient drugs used to treat specific diseases or conditions.
- New Drug Funding Program for Cancer Care
Drug Benefits for newer, intravenous drugs, typically administered in hospitals and cancer care facilities. The Ministry provides about 75% of the overall funding for intravenous cancer drugs in Ontario and hospitals fund the remaining 25% through their operating budgets.
These publicly funded programs account for 45 per cent of spending on prescription drugs in Ontario.
The operations of the Exceptional Access/Individual Clinical Review program and the Trillium Drug Program are managed by the Individual Eligibility Review Branch of the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.
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