Health and Wellness Minister Doug Currie is encouraged by the commitment shown by Canada’s health ministers to continue to work together on a number of priority areas that will benefit Islanders.
“By working together and sharing evidence-based research, our successes, and those areas in need of improvement, we can learn from each other and build a stronger healthcare system with better result for patients,” said the minister. “I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues to find ways to provide better access to quality care for Islanders.”
Canada’s health ministers met last week in Toronto. During the meeting, the ministers agreed to continue to work together to address prescription drug abuse by exploring the creation of a pan-Canadian prescription monitoring program, a national surveillance plan, and collaboration on health practitioner education.
“The devastating impacts of prescription drug abuse are being felt across the country. Unfortunately there is no one solution when it comes to treating addictions or preventing people from becoming addicted in the first place,” said the minister. “But by working together, we can provide those individuals struggling with addictions and their families with better access to the care and supports they need.”
The ministers also agreed on the importance of improving mental health services and agreed to work together in the areas of early intervention, treatment and supports. They also agreed to convene a meeting of employers in the coming months.
The ministers agreed to collaborate and share evidence-based research on a number of other areas to improve care, including:
● Improving access to care for seniors wishing to stay at home and in their community, as well as the importance of proper diagnosis and high-quality care for seniors with dementia.
● Reviewing the appropriate use of MRIs and CT scans to ensure that care is focused on evidence-based methods to improve health benefits for patients.
● Continuing their work to reduce the price of generic drugs by completing a review to identify the next 10 drugs for future price reductions. This will add to the estimated $100 million in savings that was achieved earlier this year.
“These meetings allow us to learn from the experiences in other jurisdictions and how their experiences could improve care here in Prince Edward Island, as well as share our experiences with other jurisdictions,” said the minister.