Pharmacare Would Cost Public Sector Billions More a Year, but Save Economy Money: PBO

Parliamentary Budget Officer Yves Giroux waits to appear before appearing at the Senate Committee on National Finance in Ottawa on Oct. 25, 2022. The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld

The parliamentary budget officer says a single-payer universal drug plan would cost federal and provincial governments an additional $11.2 billion in the first year, and $13.4 billion in five years.

The PBO released a report on Thursday that provides an estimate for the cost of a pharmacare program between 2024-25 and 2027-28. It follows up on a previous costing the PBO published in 2017 for a pharmacare plan.