Urgent Need for Policy Changes to Improve Migraine Care

Home » Advocacy for Canadians who want to improve access to CGRPS

If you’re one of the hundreds of thousands of Canadians living with migraine, you know how painful and disruptive this condition can be. Unfortunately, outdated provincial policies are still blocking access to CGRP medications—new, evidence-based treatments that can significantly reduce the frequency and severity of migraine attacks. These unnecessary barriers leave many people suffering longer, cycling through ineffective medications, and dealing with frustrating delays.

Our easy-to-use letter template helps you speak up and demand change. By urging Canadian policymakers to follow the latest Canadian Migraine Treatment Guidelines (developed by the Canadian Headache Society), you can advocate for earlier access to CGRP therapy and longer renewal periods—improving your care, your quality of life, and the healthcare system we all rely on.

This form can be used by Canadian patient advocates to contact their local government representatives and
provincial health minister.

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I am writing to you as someone living with life-changing migraine challenges, and on behalf of the thousands of other individuals in our province who share this debilitating condition, we implore you to make policy changes that could meaningfully improve our care, quality of life and burden on a strained healthcare system. Migraines are one of the leading causes of disability in Canada, yet current policies often create unnecessary barriers to treatments. These barriers cause great suffering for patients and waste precious healthcare resources. The newly published Canadian Migraine Treatment Guidelines for the Preventive Treatment of Migraines, developed by the Headache Society of Canada, (https://migrainecanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/updated-canadian-headache-society-migraine-prevention-guideline-with-systematic-review-and-meta-analysis-1.pdf), outlines evidence-based, patient-centred approaches that are not yet reflected in current policy framework. As patients, we experience firsthand the impact of these outdated policies; we experience long delays in accessing effective treatment; and we are forced to navigate administrative hurdles that are unnecessarily repetitive, which create additional strain on our already overburdened healthcare system. To address this, we are asking for two specific changes in our province: Allow first-line use of anti-CGRP medications for chronic migraine (15 or more headache days/month) and high-frequency episodic migraine (between 8 and 14 headache days/month)—removing the requirement to fail two prior treatments before qualifying. This is a recommendation found in the updated Canadian Migraine Treatment Guidelines (https://migrainecanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/updated-canadian-headache-society-migraine-prevention-guideline-with-systematic-review-and-meta-analysis-1.pdf page 14). Extend the renewal period for anti-CGRP medications from 6 months to at least 12 or preferably 24 months, ensuring stable care and reducing administrative burden for both patients and healthcare providers. Several other provinces have already implemented these changes, including Quebec who has removed the need to renew entirely (effective August 2025), with Health Minister Christian Dubé acknowledging how this change will help to optimize physicians’ accessibility (https://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/sante/2024-06-25/renouvellement-de-certains-medicaments/quebec-annonce-des-allegements.php) I also draw your attention to a recent modern and innovative publication on a Migraine Model of Care Canada (https://migrainecanada.org/presenting-a-model-of-care-for-migraine-in-canada/ ) policy outlining recommendations that would drastically improve the quality of care for those suffering from migraine in Canada. These changes would result in fewer lost workdays, less time in pain, and fewer unnecessary trips to clinics for paperwork, reduced trips to the Emergency Room —allowing doctors and nurse practitioners to focus on treating people instead of filling out forms. In a system already stretched thin, even small policy adjustments like these can ripple outward to improve efficiency, reduce wait times, and help more patients receive timely care.
Insert your personal story here (optional)
For more impact, you can personalize the message with your lived experience. Think about including
• What life was like pre-treatment on CGRP
• What life has been like since starting a CGRP (include brand name)
• What the benefits an effective treatment made to quality of life, work life, home life, etc. (ie. reduction in number or severity that allowed you to do X)
Message Bottom Part*
Bottom part of the letter
As my elected official, I am writing to you in support of the work Migraine Canada is doing to improve care for the migraine community and am asking you to advocate for these changes on behalf of the migraine community in our province. If you would like more information or to discuss how I am impacted, I would be happy to meet with you. Thank you for your leadership and for considering the urgent needs of those living with migraine in our province. Sincerely,
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Urgent Need for Policy Changes to Improve Migraine Care

Does migraine impact you or someone you care about?