Those negotiations have not yet begun. At last week's meeting of provincial health ministers, to which federal Health Minister Jane Philpott was invited, she shooed away any mention of money, which, at this stage of the game, is the correct approach.
Meanwhile, the provincial health ministers said they would work on what a national prescription-drug plan would look like and cost - the cost having squelched the idea of national pharmacare in the past.
Several academics, often quoted in the press, believe that national pharmacare would save money. Almost nobody else does, which is why the idea has never got off the ground. Quebec has discovered that its public plan, more elaborate than any other, costs a lot more than anyone had anticipated.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's instructions in Dr. Philpott's mandate letter are much more limited. Since Ottawa spends in the order of $1-billion on drugs for aboriginal people and the military, let Ottawa join the provinces in more bulk drug purchases to lower costs. She is also to "explore" the idea of a national formulary - an excellent idea since no logical reason exists for every province to have one.
Again, though, this is far from national pharmacare.