Calgarians facing barriers to care will have an easier path to essential prescription medications under a new pilot partnership between the City's Fair Entry program and GreenShield. Eligible Fair Entry clients can now be referred to GreenShield's Essential Medicines program (EMP), which provides no-cost access to select essential prescriptions for up to 12 months for people without drug coverage.

Fair Entry is the City's single access point for multiple subsidy programs, with eligibility based on income, residency, and in some cases age. Since launching in 2015, it has connected eligible Calgarians to a range of subsidy programs through one application, with approvals valid for 12 months. There are currently 130,000 Calgarians approved for Fair Entry.

GreenShield, Canada's only national non-profit health care and insurance organization, reinvests its earnings into initiatives like the EMP, which launched in 2023. Since then, the program has helped more than 11,000 people across multiple provinces access medications and has enabled over 16,000 prescriptions to be filled.

"It's important everyone knows they belong in Calgary," said Mayor Jeromy Farkas. "As increasing costs and inflation continue to add pressure to families across our city, and in every community, it's important the City of Calgary is a part of the solution."

Mandy Mail, Executive Vice President and Head of GreenShield Cares, said the partnership is about removing barriers so people don't have to choose between medication and other necessities.

The pilot aligns with Fair Entry's broader mandate to reduce red tape and connect low-income Calgarians to services through a centralized intake.