Prescription expenses keep climbing in Canada, and employees feel the pressure well before those costs appear in your renewal meeting. With inflation, new specialty drugs entering the market, and a surge in mental-health–related prescriptions, HR leaders are being pushed to find meaningful ways to support their teams without pushing benefit budgets to the breaking point.
Now there’s an entire ecosystem of prescription assistance programs designed to work alongside employer-sponsored benefits. When employees know how to use them, these programs can reduce out-of-pocket costs, improve medication adherence, and help stabilize long-term drug claims. For tech companies in particular—where medication usage trends skew higher and faster—these tools can quickly become a strategic advantage.
Below are the programs worth paying attention to as we move into 2025—the ones Orchard Benefits consistently sees delivering real value.
1. RxHelp – Manufacturer Copay Support
RxHelp continues to be one of the most effective and widely adopted programs in Canada. Employees can enroll within minutes and start using their card at virtually any pharmacy. For anyone taking a brand-name medication, the savings can be immediate and substantial. RxHelp applies manufacturer-funded offsets directly at the point of sale, reducing the employee’s co-pay and helping employers keep rising drug claims in check.
This is especially impactful for chronic medications, where even small monthly savings add up quickly. And because RxHelp integrates naturally with existing benefits plans, it’s one of the easiest programs to promote internally without adding administrative complexity.
2. InnoviCares – Digital Savings Card
InnoviCares functions similarly to RxHelp, but with a broader selection of medications under its umbrella. The sign-up process is frictionless—employees can download a digital card and start using it immediately, making it appealing to teams that value speed and self-serve solutions.
What makes InnoviCares particularly helpful is its range. Many medications qualify for discounts of 20% to 75%, which can significantly reduce out-of-pocket costs for employees who rely on brand-name drugs. While the exact savings vary by medication, the accessibility of the program makes it an easy win for tech companies with employees managing mental-health conditions, ADHD, asthma, or chronic diseases.
3. Provincial Drug Programs
Across Canada, each province offers government-funded drug support for residents who meet certain criteria. Programs like Ontario’s Trillium Drug Program or BC Pharmacare are essential safety nets for employees facing extremely high annual drug expenses or those with coverage gaps.
While these programs aren’t administered by employers, HR leaders play an important role in awareness. Employees often don’t realize they qualify, or they assume government programs are too complex to navigate. A quick overview during onboarding—or a reminder during open enrollment—can help employees access life-changing financial support at the moments they need it most.
4. Patient Support Programs (PSPs)
Pharmaceutical manufacturers also run condition-specific programs that offer financial assistance, clinical support, training for administering injectable medications, and help with ongoing adherence. For employees dealing with conditions like multiple sclerosis, Crohn’s disease, or rheumatoid arthritis, a PSP can dramatically improve both the cost and quality of care.
These programs are more specialized, but when an employee qualifies, the impact is significant. HR leaders don’t need to be experts—just knowing these programs exist can help guide employees toward resources that supplement their benefits plan.
5. Pharmacy-Run Support Programs
Major pharmacy chains now offer cost-saving tools of their own, including affordability programs, medication reviews, and generic-substitution guidance. They’re not always heavily advertised, but they can make a noticeable difference at the checkout counter. Encouraging employees to ask their pharmacist about available options can unlock savings that often go unused.
Why Employers Should Care
Prescription assistance programs aren’t just employee perks—they’re strategic levers. When employees use these tools effectively, employers see lower claims costs, healthier teams, and stronger retention. These programs help:
- Reduce financial stress for employees,
- Support chronic-condition management, and
- Protect benefits plans from unsustainable cost growth.
For small and mid-sized tech companies trying to stay competitive without inflating payroll costs, they can make your benefits offering feel bigger than your budget.
The Path Forward for 2025
Like most things in benefits, success depends on communication. The companies that get the most value out of these programs are the ones that make them easy to find and easy to understand. Add them to onboarding. Build a simple section in your HRIS or internal benefits hub. Share real-world examples that show how meaningful the savings can be. And empower managers to point employees in the right direction when questions come up.
Small education moments can create outsized impact—for both the employee and the plan.