The Trillium Drug Program (TDP) is intended for Ontario residents who have a valid Ontario Health Card and who have high prescription drug costs in relation to their net household income.

The TDP provides coverage for prescription drug products listed on the Ontario Drug Benefit Formulary/Comparative Drug Index (Formulary) as follows :

• over 3,400 quality-assured prescription drug products;
• over 450 limited-use drug products;
• some nutritional and diabetic testing agents.

Drug products that are not listed on the Formulary are also considered for coverage for TDP recipients through the ministry's Individual Clinical Review (ICR/Section 8) mechanism on a case-by-case basis. (For more information : Ontario Drug Benefit : Section 8–Special coverage of a non-listed drug product Mechanism.)

You can register in the Trillium Drug Program if :

• you don’t have private insurance coverage or if your private insurance does not cover 100% of your prescription drug costs;
• you have a valid Ontario Health Card and are a resident of Ontario; and
• you are not eligible for drug coverage as another category of recipient under the Ontario Drug Benefit (ODB) Program (i.e., you are not a senior over 65 years of age, you are not a social assistance recipient, you are not receiving professional Home Care services, or if you are not a resident of a Long-Term Care Facility or Homes for Special Care); and
• you don't have private insurance coverage or if your private insurance does not cover 100% of your prescription drug costs.

The program runs from August 1 to July 31 of the following year. Before you will receive coverage for eligible prescription drug products through the TDP, your household must pay for a set amount of your prescription drug purchases, otherwise known as the "deductible", each year starting August 1. The deductible is paid in four instalments over the program year and is calculated based on net household income and household size.

For example, a household with an annual deductible of $500 will pay for the first $125 of prescriptions purchased at the start of each quarter on August 1, November 1, February 1, and May 1. After the deductible is paid in each quarter, the household will be eligible to receive drug benefits for that quarter, and will be asked to pay up to $2 per prescription each time they purchase an eligible drug product. Any unpaid deductible in a quarter will be added to the next quarter's deductible.

New applicants to the TDP can choose the date within the program year on which they wish to be enrolled in the program. The deductible will be prorated, that is, the deductible will be based on the number of days left in the program year. Please note that proration of the deductible will apply only for the first year that a household/member is enrolled in the program.

Only eligible drug costs count towards your Trillium Drug Program deductible or are covered as program benefits. To ensure coverage under the program, check with your pharmacist or health care provider to make sure your prescriptions fit into one of the following categories :

• are listed in the ODB Formulary/Comparative Drug Index; or
• are on the Facilitated Access List of HIV/AIDS drugs; or
• have been approved for coverage through the ministry’s Individual Clinical Review (ICR/Section 8) mechanism.

Trillium application kits are available at your local pharmacy, or by calling 1-800-575-5386. The application form and application guide are also available online :

• Application for Ontario Drug Benefits
• A Guide to Your Application (Ontario Drug Benefit)