YOUR VOICE AND INPUT IN NEEDED TO IMPROVE ACCESS AND COVERAGE OF MEDICATIONS THAT PREVENT FRACTURES AND TREAT OSTEOPOROSIS
The B.C. Ministry of Health is conducting a survey of patients, caregivers, and patient groups to gather input, experiences and opinions regarding osteoporosis therapies in British Columbia and B.C. PharmaCare coverage.
Go to the BC Ministry website: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/health-drug-coverage/pharmacare-for-bc-residents/drug-review-process-results/your-voice
If you are a B.C. resident, you can give input if you:
- Have osteoporosis or at risk of bone fractures
- Are an eligible caregiver for someone with the above condition, or
- Represent an eligible patient group for B.C. patients with that condition
WHY YOUR INPUT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT
- Public drug coverage for osteoporosis medications in British Columbia is the worst in Canada. All treatments for osteoporosis or fracture prevention require your physician to apply for “special authority” and restrictive criteria need to be met for approval
- Currently in BC, to receive coverage for a fracture-prevention drug, a person must have already had a documented fracture, that means a fracture that is proven on an x-ray or the fracture must be a clinical fracture that is painful, before coverage is approved
- Other provinces in Canada do not have this requirement for public coverage
- Even after experiencing a fracture, some therapies still require other criteria to be met before the treatment is publicly covered – the criteria are restrictive for many
- The BC Ministry of Health is asking for your input through a short survey you can take, Please make your voice and opinions heard about this important therapy
- BC PharmaCare regularly reviews drugs to decide if they should provide coverage for people enrolled in PharmaCare plans and your input contributes to the decision
- This opportunity for patient, caregivers and patient groups will only be available on the B.C. government “Your Voice” website from October 20 to November 17, 2021
Go to the BC Ministry website: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/health-drug-coverage/pharmacare-for-bc-residents/drug-review-process-results/your-voice
Access the appropriate survey and provide you input and opinions