Government is providing better access to medications by adding five new drugs to the provincial formulary, says Health and Wellness Minister Doug Currie.
“We are providing additional coverage for two high cost drugs and three other medications under the provincial drug formulary,” said Minister Currie. “By adding drugs to our formulary, we are giving Islanders more choice, and lessening the burden of prescription drug costs for patients and their families. For many Islanders their quality of life is tied to their medications – through this announcement, and the progress we are making in our pharmacare programs and our recently announced Catastrophic Drug Program, we are working to provide increased access to the medications Islanders need most.”
Effective May 20, 2013, the High Cost Drug Program is now providing coverage for:
• Cimzia, for the treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis, and
• Gilenya, for patients with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS).
“The MS Society welcomes the addition of the first oral disease-modifying therapy for multiple sclerosis to the drug formulary in Prince Edward Island. The treatment of MS is highly individualized, and people with MS and their physicians need to have every tool available to manage this disabling disease,” said Dena Simon, President of the MS Society of Canada, Atlantic Division.
Also effective May 20, 2013, the following drugs are now available under the Family Health Benefit Drug Program, the Financial Assistance Drug Program, the Seniors Drug Program and the Nursing Home Drug Program:
• Vimpat for adjunctive therapy in patients with refractory partial-onset seizures,
• Zenhale for the treatment of asthma, and
• Aclasta for the treatment of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women
Patients must meet both the clinical and program criteria to be eligible for coverage.
Spending on Prince Edward Island’s Pharmacare Programs has increased approximately 42 percent since 2006/07 and government has added or expanded coverage of over 170 medications to the provincial formulary.
Government recently announced a new Catastrophic Drug Program which will begin October 1, 2013 in Prince Edward Island. Together the High Cost Drug Program and the new Catastrophic Program will result in $8.2 million in provincial funding to support Islanders who need prescription medications.
“Today’s announcement builds on the Government’s ongoing progress to improve the quality of Pharmacare and health care in Prince Edward Island,” said Minister Currie
For details on Pharmacare Programs in Prince Edward Island, visit www.healthpei.ca/pharmacare
BACKGROUNDER
Effective May 20, 2013, the following drugs have been added to the provincial formulary. Patients must meet both the clinical and program criteria to be eligible for coverage.
Cimzia
Coverage of Cimzia is for the treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis for patients who meet special authorization criteria.
Eligible Program: High Cost Drug Program
Gilenya
Gilenya is for the treatment of patients with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) who meet special authorization criteria.
Gilenya offers an oral alternative for those patients with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) who cannot tolerate or have an unsatisfactory clinical response to medications currently covered by PEI Pharmacare.
Gilenya will be the first oral Multiple Sclerosis (MS) drug that PEI Pharmcare covers.
Eligible Program: High Cost Drug Program.
Vimpat
Vimpat will be added to the Provincial Pharmacare formulary for adjunctive therapy in patients with refractory partial-onset seizures who meet clinical criteria.
Eligible Programs: Family Health Benefit, Financial Assistance, Nursing Home, and Seniors Drug Programs.
Zenhale
Provincial Pharmacare Programs will provide coverage for Zenhale for the treatment of asthma, in patients 12 years of age and older with reversible obstructive airway disease who meet clinical criteria.
Eligible Programs: Family Health Benefit, Financial Assistance, Nursing Home, and Seniors Drug Programs.
Aclasta
Aclasta for the treatment of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women who meet clinical criteria
Aclasta offers an alternative for those post-menopausal women with an inability to take, tolerate or have an unsatisfactory clinical response to oral bisphosphonates, alendronate or risedronate therapy.
Eligible Programs: Family Health Benefit, Financial Assistance, Nursing Home, and Seniors Drug Programs.