canada us and EU advocacy knows no borders..

[Guest guest]

Hi Carol and all…

This is what the canadians are moving towards…this might help you in

your advocacy..as the US and EU are mentioned..i send this not because I

am canadian but because I have the disease and every avenue explored is

an avenue we all have to try…I hope this helps our plight……..

Canadians Not Getting Necessary Medications

The Arthritis Society and Patient Advocate make case for National

Pharmacare To Romanow Health Care Commission

Toronto, May 30, 2002 - " Arthritis patients across Canada are presently

not getting the medications they need " , says Denis Morrice, President

and CEO of The Arthritis Society. Morrice and patient advocate,

Hofstetter are appearing before Roy Romanow and the Commission

on the Future of Health Care today in Toronto.

" It takes too long to get new, life-changing medications approved in

Canada and then there are even more hurdles at the provincial level to

getting these drugs to the people who need them most, many of whom are

disabled because of the pain and inflammation caused by this horrible

disease " , Morrice says.

Hofstetter, a 46-year old Toronto businesswoman, who has been

hit hard by rheumatoid arthritis, is a case in point. She was

immobilized by R.A. nine years ago and only months after developing the

disease. She says since then, she has run the gamut of medications. She

reminded the Commission that medications often only work for a period of

time. " Last spring, I needed help once again and, talking with my

rheumatologist, finally found a biologic medication which dramatically

decreased the pain and stiffness " , she said.

" The problem is, the province of Ontario has said it won't pay for it

for me through the Ontario Drug Benefits Programme. I don't know what

I'm going to do now " . Hofstetter says she's talked to other patients

who feel in jeopardy because they can't get approval for medications

already approved at the federal level by Health Canada. " Why does

someone who happens to live in another province get this medication and

I can't? " , Hofstetter says.

Denis Morrice offered the first of a number of solutions on behalf of

The Arthritis Society. " We need a national pharmacare system that is

managed and paid for by the federal government - a system which assigns

responsibility and accountability to the federal government to

streamline the system at all levels and make it work in the best

interests of patients " , he said. He also proposed other solutions that

would comprise such a system:

* A federal drug review process with that of The United States and

with the European(EU) regulatory bodies so that Canadian arthritis

patients aren't waiting one, two or more years longer than patients in

other industrialized countries for medications.

* A harmonized drug review process that takes advantage of other

efforts and expertise and to cut costs on research, and clinical

studies. Duplicated efforts are expensive and are, simply, translated

into the higher costs of medications for all Canadians.

* The federal government should assume full financial

responsibility for a national pharmacare programme. A single national

panel will be more cost-effective.

* Assigned and exclusive federal government responsibility and

accountability for one national formulary. This means that when

medications are approved by a single panel with objective international

experts, medications are then made uniformly available for all Canadians

in every province and territory.

* Assigned and exclusive federal government responsibility and

accountability for comprehensive cost-effective studies and impact

studies (pharmacoeconomic studies), on medications

[ ] If you have not yead my post, please do..

Hi

I have been so excited to see a few replies regarding the email I posted

yesterday. Keep it up group as we are all we have to fight for us when

it

comes right down to it.

For those who have not yet read my message, please do so and reply with

your

thoughts good or bad.

If you are not comfortable writing to the entire group, my private email

is

boop@....

Following the response, hopefully we will have enough of our members to

become our own best advocates.

I know that I will do all that I can to help this group and others

suffering

not only from the serious illnesses we have but the added insult and

injury

we experience from insurance carriers, pharmaceutical companies, medical

providers, and those who supposedly offer financial assistance Federal

and

State.

..

Also, a published information on how to become an advocate for the

Arthritis Foundation. Please everyone read it and see how you can help.

I

have already joined and sent the email requested to my State

representatives. The email is already typed for you to send to make it

easier..

a and THANK YOU... Without you both, we would not have this

opportunity

I can only urge you to get involved with me. I believe we all need to

feel

good about something again, don't you? and maybe this is it.

Joanne