Opinion: Ottawa’s pharmacare plan looks grim for diabetics

financialpost.com:

By Nigel Rawson and John Adams

Opinion polls regularly show that most Canadians support the idea of national pharmacare. But they’re likely envisioning a comprehensive system covering a broad range of innovative medicines — not unlike what many of them have in their private plans. That does not describe the first stage of Ottawa’s national pharmacare plan, which covers only contraceptives and diabetes drugs. It’s far from the imagined ideal and could well harm many Canadians. Restricting coverage to older medications, as the plan seems intended to do, may save money, but at what cost to the health of Canadians?

Bill C-64 passed third and final reading in the Senate on Oct. 10 and received royal assent the same day. Following his testimony at a Senate committee last month, federal Health Minister Mark Holland wrote to its chair to confirm that diabetes medications and contraceptives included in the initial phase of the government’s “vision of a national universal pharmacare program” will be paid for and administered through a public plan — not a mix of public and private payers — and that coverage will be single-payer and first-dollar.

Holland twice mentioned that a “range” of medications will be covered. What does that mean for patients and their doctors? The only insight we have into which diabetes medications may be covered is a list “to be discussed with provinces and territories.” This list is remarkably short. Let’s compare what’s on it with the diabetes drugs currently covered by government drug plans across the country or by the large private insurer, Manulife. If you exclude medications not covered by any public plan or Manulife — either old drugs no longer used or newer medicines with no price agreement yet