Migraine Canada Logo
MIGRAINE MODE
Migraine Canada Logo
MIGRAINE MODE

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 Unfortunately, outdated provincial policies are still blocking access to CGRP medications—new, evidence-based treatments that can significantly reduce the frequency and severity of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.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
  • Enter your postal code to find your local representatives.
  • Subject of the email that will be sent


  • Dear [Name of the Government Representative will be added automatically],

  • I am writing as someone living with migraine and on behalf of the millions of Canadians affected by this disabling neurological disease. I am asking you to support changes in our province/territory that would improve access to effective migraine treatment, reduce unnecessary administrative burden, and make better use of our healthcare resources.

    In 2024, the Canadian Headache Society published updated Canadian Migraine Treatment Guidelines for the Preventive Treatment of Migraine, providing evidence-based recommendations for the prevention and management of migraine. Yet, government drug policies and coverage criteria in our province do not fully reflect these updated recommendations.

    I am asking our government to align its policies with the new Canadian guidelines by making two important changes:

    1. Allow first-line access to anti-CGRP medications for appropriate patients.
      People living with chronic migraine (15 or more headache days per month) and high-frequency episodic migraine (8–14 headache days per month) should not be required to fail multiple preventive treatments before accessing anti-CGRP medications when clinically appropriate. Policies and criteria should be aligned with the published treatment guidelines and treatment decisions should be made between patients and their healthcare providers, based on individual needs and the best available evidence.
    2. Extend or eliminate unnecessary renewal requirements for stable patients.
      For patients who are responding well to an anti-CGRP medications, or botulinum toxin, renewal requirements should be extended from six months to at least 12 months, and preferably 24 monthsor removed altogether. Requiring patients and healthcare providers to repeatedly complete paperwork when treatment is working creates unnecessary administrative burden and can disrupt continuity of care.

    Other provinces are already moving in this direction. Quebec, for example, removed the requirement for renewals of anti-CGRP medications in August 2025, recognizing the opportunity to reduce administrative burden and improve access to physicians.

  • My experience with migraine

  • Consider sharing: 

    • What your life was like before receiving effective preventive treatment. 
    • How many migraine or headache days you experienced. 
    • What treatments you tried and the challenges you faced accessing care. 
    • What changed after starting an anti-CGRP medication. 
    • How effective treatment has affected your ability to work, attend school, care for your family, participate in activities, or simply live your life. 

    For example: 
    “Before starting [treatment], I experienced approximately [X] migraine days each month. Since starting treatment, my migraine days have decreased to [X], allowing me to [return to work/spend more time with my family/participate in activities/etc.].” 


  • These policy changes are not simply about making treatment easier to access,they are about making our healthcare system work better. Reducing unnecessary paperwork and treatment barriers can free physicians and nurse practitioners to spend more time caring for patients, reduce avoidable healthcare visits, reduce lengthy wait timesand help people receivetimelydiagnosisand effective treatment sooner. Better migraine management can also reduce disability, missed work and school, and the need for emergency care.

    The Migraine Model of Care published in 2025 also provides a roadmap for improving migraine care across the country and highlights the need for a more accessible, coordinated, evidence-based approach to migraine management.

    As my elected representative, I am asking you to support the implementation of the 2024 Canadian Migraine Treatment Guidelines and advocate for these changes on behalf of the migraine community in our province.

    I would welcome the opportunity to speak with you or your office about my experience and the impact these changes could have on people living with migraine in our province.

    Thank you for your leadership and for considering this important issue.

    Sincerely,

  • Signature
  • By using this form, you agree to our privacy policy