JF

18

Feb2014

Update to the Liste de médicaments

The Institut national d’excellence en santé et en services sociaux (INESSS) has released the list of drugs under review for the June 2014 Liste de médicaments. Comments from associations, groups of health professionals, or citizens regarding these drugs may be sent to INESSS by ... Read More

18

Feb2014

High-income seniors to pay more for drugs

The Ontario provincial budget, tabled last week, includes changes to the Ontario Drug Benefit Program that will see approximately 75,000 high-income seniors pay more for their prescription drugs by August 2014. The province estimates affected seniors will pay on average $665 more per year towards their prescription costs. The change ... Read More

18

Feb2014

Price for top 10 generic drugs cut to 20% of brand price

Price for top 10 generic drugs cut to 20% of brand price The Government of Ontario has announced it will reduce the price it pays for the 10 top-selling generic drugs from 25 percent of their equivalent brand drug price to 20 percent of the equivalent brand price. More information ... Read More

18

Feb2014

New drugs on formulary expected to save $10 million/year

The Government of Manitoba will add 179 new drugs to its Drug Benefits and Interchangeability Formulary on May 24, 2012, bringing the total number of drugs covered to more than 5,000. Many of the new drugs are generics which, within the context of Manitoba’s generic drug price policy, are expected ... Read More

18

Feb2014

Province announces it will reimburse 100% of the costs of oral cancer drugs

Last month Manitoba Premier Greg Selinger announced a new Home Cancer Drug Program to cover 100 percent of the costs of oral cancer medications taken outside of CancerCare Manitoba facilities. Prior to the announcement, only cancer medications administered in CancerCare Manitoba facilities were covered. More information on the new ... Read More

18

Feb2014

120 new drugs added to Pharmacare last month

Last week Manitoba Health Minister Theresa Oswald announced that 120 new drugs would be added to the Manitoba Drug Benefits and Interchangeability Formulary. Among the additions are medicines for stroke prevention, skin cancer and hepatitis C. Full information on the formulary amendments, effective September 24, can be found ... Read More

18

Feb2014

Some seniors’ and children’s prescriptions to cost more

Last week members of the Saskatchewan legislature passed the budget tabled earlier last month, which included a change that would mean 97,000 seniors and 47,000 families pay more for their prescription drugs. The change is an increase in the co-payment cap for the Seniors’ and Children’s Drug Plan ... Read More

18

Feb2014

Online processing to help Saskatchewan-based travellers receive six-month supplies of drugs

Saskatchewan Drug Plan (SDP) beneficiaries who travel out of the province for extended periods of time may now be able to receive up-front reimbursement for their prescriptions. Previously, pharmacists were only able to bill for three months worth of prescription costs at a time. The new policy and ... Read More

18

Feb2014

Province introduces Pharmaceutical Services Act

Last week the Government of British Columbia introduced Bill 35, the Pharmaceutical Services Act, to provide supporting legislation for the province’s $1 billion PharmaCare program. This Act will protect the program by law, whereas the program currently relies on government policy. The Act also outlines the framework within which the ... Read More

18

Feb2014

Drug manufacturer submission deadlines for listing on the AHWDBL have been updated

Drug manufacturer submission deadlines for listing on the AHWDBL have been updated.