The Transparent Drug System for Patients Act passed third and final reading on June 19, 2006. This legislation is part of the government's plan to reform the provincial drug system and deliver better value for money to the taxpayers of Ontario.

The government plan is expected to save up to $277 million per year. These savings will be reinvested into the provincial drug system to support improved patient access to drugs.

The government's plan includes :

• Achieving significant savings through volume discounts for all drugs purchased for the Ontario Drug Benefit Program
• Improving patient access to drugs through new conditional listings, Exceptional Access, and rapid reviews of innovative drugs
• Listening to the views of Ontarians through a new Citizen's Council that will advise the Ministry on the social aspects of drug policies and priorities
• Strengthening transparency by giving patients a role in drug listing decisions of the Committee to Evaluate Drugs
• Recognizing the valuable role of pharmacists in patient care by paying them for enhanced patient counselling and other professional services
• Utilizing the expertise of Ontario's pharmacists through a new Pharmacy Council to advise the Ministry and the Executive Officer of the public drug programs
• Freeing doctors of the burden of paperwork associated with Section 8 drugs

The province's Ontario Drug Benefit program provides drug coverage for the 2.2 million Ontarians who are seniors or who receive social assistance or provincial disability support.

The information respecting the Ontario Drug Benefit Act and the Drug Interchangeability and Dispensing Fee Act regulations is not the official version and should not be relied on as authoritative. For the authoritative text of the law, see the official volumes and office consolidations printed by Publications Ontario. The text is posted on the e-laws website. In the event of any discrepancy between the aforementioned official versions, e-laws, and this website posting, the official versions should be treated as authoritative.