On November 24, 2015, Québec’s Minister of Health and Social Services, Gaétan Barrette introduced the following bill to Quebec’s National Assembly:

Bill 81: An Act to reduce the cost of certain medications covered by the basic prescription drug insurance plan by allowing calls for tender.

Bill 81 would amend the Act Respecting Prescription Drug Insurance to allow the Minister to issue a call for tenders to enter into a contract with an accredited drug manufacturer for the purpose of establishing the price of a medication or supply and the conditions for its entry on the list of medications. The Bill 81 also allows the Minister to issue a call for tenders to enter with an accredited wholesaler into a contract establishing the conditions for the supply of the medication or supply to owner pharmacists and the wholesaler’s profit margin.

Such contracts will grant the selected manufacturer and the selected wholesaler exclusivity as regards the medication or supply. Lastly, under the bill, calls for tender must be issued in accordance with the conditions and mechanics determined by ministerial regulation.

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