With a new federal government in place with a keen desire to create measurable results, now is a pivotal time in Canadian health care.
The bottom line for the government is how to strike a balance, creating a system that is both fiscally responsible and takes care of the needs of Canadians within a public health care system structure. That is no small feat, given an aging population and increasing strain on hospitals and health care professionals in Canada.
A working group made up of the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Health Ministers has been created to investigate and address 5 key priority areas as part of a National Pharmaceutical Strategy:
- National Catastrophic Drug Plan
- Expensive Drugs for Rare Diseases
- Expansion of the Common Drug Plan
- Real World Safety & Effectiveness
- Pricing & Purchasing Strategies
The sub-committees reported back to the Ministers in the summer, culminating in a Progress Report
. The news release sounds promising and progressive, however it remains to be seen how it will play out in reality. The next steps are "appropriate and targeted consultation with stakeholders," so hopefully we will be hearing more from the CDA in the coming months as to how this will impact us as patients across Canada.
As a patient community, it is our position that if we have access to the best tools, medication and treatment that we need to manage our diabetes, we can prevent the onset of complications and thus alleviate much of the strain on the health care system.
