Table 1. Timeline detailing announcements of cholinesterase inhibitor inclusion onto provincial formularies and dates of provincial elections^a.

Province	Cholinesterase Inhibitors Added to Provincial Formulary	Date of Closest Provincial Election	Incumbent Party	Winner of Election	Time Between Announcement and Closest Election (daysb)
Ontario	1 June 1999	3 June 1999	PC	PC	−2
Manitoba	11 August 1999	21 September 1999	PC	NDP	−41
Alberta	1 December 1999	12 March 2001	PC	PC	−467
Quebec	16 May 2000	20 November 1998	PQ	PQ	+543
Saskatchewan	24 October 2000	16 September 1999	NDP	NDPc	+404
Nova Scotia	19 June 2003	5 August 2003	PC	PCc	−47
New Brunswick	21 August 2003 (announcement of funding to begin on 1 September 2003)	9 June 2003	PC	PC	+73
Newfoundland and Labrador	18 September 2003 (initial plan to fund drugs announcedd)	21 October 2003	L	PC	−33
	30 March 2006 (announcement of funding to begin on 1 September 2006)	9 October 2007	PC	PC	−528
Prince Edward Island	22 July 2005	29 September 2003	PC	PC	+662
British Columbia	4 October 2007 (announcement of funding to begin on 22 October 2007)	12 May 2009	L	L	−586

Abbreviations: L, Liberal; NDP, New Democratic Party; PC, Progressive Conservative; PQ, Parti Quebecois.

^aProvinces are listed in order of when cholinesterase inhibitors were added to provincial drug formulary. In four provinces (Ontario, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador), announcements of drug formulary coverage were made within the 60-day period preceding a provincial election.

^bFor the time between announcement and closest election, the number of days is given as either the numbers of days preceding an election (a negative number, e.g. −2 days) or the number of days following an election (a positive number, e.g. +73 days).

^cMinority government.

^dDecision to add cholinesterase inhibitors to Newfoundland and Labrador drug formulary announced by Liberal government on 18 September 2003 was delayed, after Liberal government defeated by Progressive Conservatives in October 2003 election.