The Costs – At the Pharmacy

Insured persons must inform the pharmacist that they are registered for the public plan and present their valid Health Insurance Card, along with their claim slip (carnet de réclamation), if applicable. When insured persons purchase covered drugs, they pay only a portion of their cost. This is called their contribution. The other portion is paid by the Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec.

EXAMPLE A $60 prescription presented at the pharmacy on July 1, 2011
Monthly deductible	Monthly co-insurance	Contribution paid by the insured person	Amount paid by the Régie
Fixed amount paid when making the first drug purchase during the month.	32% of the cost of the prescription minus the deductible	Total of the deductible plus the co-insurance	Cost of the prescription minus the contribution by the insured person
$16	$60 - $16 = $44 x 32 % = $14.08	$16 + $14.08 = $30.08	$60 - $30.08 = $29.92
Rates in effect for adults age 18 to 64 and for persons age 65 or over who are no longer receiving any Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) or receiving 1% to 93% of the GIS.

Free of charge for certain persons registered for the public plan

Persons age 65 or over who are receiving 94% to 100% of the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) are entitled to prescription drugs free of charge. Generally, they have nothing to pay at the pharmacy.

This is also the case for the children of persons insured under the public plan if they are under age 18 or if they meet the following four conditions: they are 18 to 25, full-time students, without a spouse and live with their parents.