More than 53,000 Manitobans accessed free birth control in 1st year of provincial program
CBC
More than 53,000 Manitobans have accessed birth control at no cost in the first year of the provincial government's free contraception program, the province says.
Since October 2024, eligible residents have had the costs of about 60 commonly used birth control methods — including contraceptive pills, intrauterine devices (IUDs), hormonal implants and contraceptive injections — fully covered by the provincial pharmacare program.
A prescription and a Manitoba health card are required to access the program. Those without coverage from another federal or provincial program are eligible.
Between Oct. 2, 2024 and Oct. 21, 2025, more than 53,000 people got free birth control through the program, a provincial spokesperson says in a statement to CBC News.
That's more than the population of Brandon.
Over that period, 190,000 prescriptions were dispensed across all types of contraceptives, the spokesperson said. Nearly nine in 10 of those prescriptions were for oral birth control — commonly referred to as "the pill."
In a statement to CBC News, Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara said that the large number of prescriptions filled is a "clear sign that the demand was real."
Making birth control free for eligible Manitobans has "opened doors" for people who previously couldn't afford contraceptives and is making a "meaningful difference in people’s lives," the minister said.
Winnipeg-based pharmacist Ryan Chan said it's a "great program" that has put a smile on the face of many people since it was introduced last year.
"Most patients are ecstatic," he said. "They're quite happy when they find out it's free."
Britt Kural, a Winnipeg pharmacist and pharmacy practice adviser with Pharmacists Manitoba, said it's a "nice surprise" for clients who no longer have to pay out of pocket for birth control.
"It's really nice for the pharmacy teams to be able to share that good news with Manitobans as well," Kural said.
While the program has made contraceptives more accessible from a cost perspective, Kural says, pharmacists can further reduce barriers if they are given prescribing powers.
In order to get the free coverage, people need to go to a hospital, doctor's office or walk-in clinic to get a prescription written by either a doctor or a nurse practitioner.
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