Fair Drug Prices for Ontario? A Closer Look at the Government's Plan - PART 1

[Pharmavixen]

Hi, pharmapo - just a note to say how awesome you are! I've been a pharmacist for 23 years, and really appreciate how well you've investigated and pulled the information all together for these videos. Bill 102 enabled Helen Stevenson to list and delist drugs on the formulary basically at her whim - that bill gave her the power she has, even though there already was an existing manager of Drug Programs. And this is "transparent?"

[pharmapo]

Quick explanations for those that don't know how the listing of new medications happens:

The confidential payments from Brand Name companies go to the government and the money is not accounted for to the public and not put back into making drug prices cheaper. The price of the Brand Name medication gets listed the same as anywhere else (the article points this out), so the taxpayer pays the same.

[pharmapo]

Miraculously, around the time a patent runs out on a Brand Name drug (meaning it will become generic and become a lot cheaper), the Brand Name company releases a new one that's almost identical to the old one, and the Ministry immediately lists it on the formulary. Then drug reps go around to doctors to tell them this is an 'improved' version, and the selling point is 'And it's on the Ontario Drug Benefit Formulary!'

[pharmapo]

The result is, instead of using the now cheaper medications, doctors start prescribing these new drugs which are 2-4 times the cost of a generic that would do the same thing. The costs to the taxpayer increase.

[mallemang]

I tried posting a link to that link that they showed in the video...darn youtube won't let me post it here!

...just google the globe and mail sweet drug deals

[pharmapo]

@mallemang If you go to the description part, just under the video, and click on the down arrow to expand, you will find the links I used in the video and can click on them directly there.

[JasonDanyluk]

this is a GREAT video! probably the best youtube video i've seen online!!

I was thinking about making videos, but i dont want my big-pharmacy job to find out :/

[conkop200]

I see, a new Ehealth scandal:

Brand companies pay secret kickbacks to the Ministry of Health.

Since Generics companies are the Brand companies' enemies.

Therefore, Brand companies ask their friends, the Ministry of Health to attack the Generics companies by blaming them for high price.

After all, if the Ministry of Health got kickbacks from Brand companies, the Ministry owes them a service.

Soon Helen Stevenson will be fired with a huge compensation. Just like the Ehealth Scandal.

[Mikelikeshockey]

@conkop200 Throw in the private insurance industry too....they are in for a pay day too