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By Susan McNeil

National drug plan

P.A. diabetes centre welcomes proposed federal coverage of drugs

Mar 3, 2024 | 8:00 AM

A pharmacist with the Enhanced Health and Diabetes Centre in Prince Albert is welcoming the introduction of legislation that would see drugs like insulin and metformin be free for patients.

Along with drugs used to maintain diabetes, the government is also planning to make multiple forms of birth control freely available.

Josiah Obiero says there is a growing issue with diabetes that he can see in his daily work in Prince Albert.

The centre works a lot with people who are new to being diabetic but even more so with those who are struggling to manage their disease and uses a variety of ways to help.

“A lot of times what we do is to try to get people to access those diabetes drugs and medications, we work with drug companies and try to beg them to give us some samples,” he said.

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“There’s a lot of people who don’t have access to those and they’re life-saving for the most part.”

While some people have coverage for medications, many others do not and rely on the medications to stay alive.

Insulin alone costs between $50 to $100/month and adding in other drugs can raise the cost to $150 before supplies like syringes are added on.

According to Health Canada, over nine per cent of Canadians have been diagnosed with the disease, a number that has doubled in the last 10 years and is expected to rise even more.

Of those, one quarter have a hard time following their treatments because of the costs and occasionally ration their medicine to save money.

At the same time, the federal government is planning to make contraceptives freely available as well.

That can be birth control pills, IUDs, implants, rings, and morning-after pills.

Care providers say that cost is the single biggest barrier to people who need contraceptives. Prices range from $25 per unit to $500 for an IUD, which lasts five years.

Oral contraceptives have a nine per cent failure rate while IUDs are in the 0.2 per cent range.

Because of the cost, people with lower incomes who also work in jobs with no health benefits are least likely to use the more effective types of birth control.

The bill creating the new pharmacare plan is still in its infancy and needs to make its way through the House of Commons and Senate before becoming reality.

It also requires the provincial government to agree to participate.

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susan.mcneil