Al and other residents of Ontario

[Cathya]

When I saw my oncologist this week at the General Hospital in Ottawa he said that the doctors there were thinking of setting up an Infusion Clinic to make all of the new treatments that are not now covered by OHIP available to patients. He said that the plan would be to let them pay for them privately or through secondary insurance providers. Yes, it is a very political issue but I think I am going to volunteer to do fund raising for the clinic if it opens. Scarey though.

Cathya

[al from Canada]

Not so scarey.

The only ones afraid of this are those who misinterpret this. All Ontarians are aware of the fears associated with a two-tiered health care system. One for the rich and one for everyone else. This however is not even close to a two-tiered system as these private clinics offer drugs that are "off label". The bottom line: if your onc won't prescribe off-label drugs for you; there is another option. I applaude doctors willing to buck the system. If you want off-label treatment, what are the alternatives in a system bound within the constraints of a public health care system?

Think of it this way; the hospitals get their funding from the government from administration of "approved" therapies. Hospitals are not allowed to accept private payments for meds. What are the alternatives?

Maybe these guys are just entreprenuers looking to make a fast buck at other peoples expense but; if it weren't for them, there would be NO access to these drugs.
This is a politically charged issue where you have to cut to the chase.

Al

[Cathya]

I agree totally. These doctors are only frustrated and trying to get the newest, most effective drugs to their patients and recognize that Ontario is behind other provinces (BC etc.) in funding. However, the opening of clinics like this will definitely cause a stir and lots of political fallout. I intend to be as politic as I can while helping in any way I can to get the drugs out. The question will obviously be what do people who have no secondary heath care and no money do? That is why I want to fund raise.

[al from Canada]

Dear Cathya,
Either fundraise or be a political activist. The message that needs to get out is; what happens to or what do we do with, the people who have run out of options? I think the health care system needs to give the doctors discretionary power to prescibe off-label and still operate within the constraints of the system. After all, how many times will a doctor prescribe a treatment that isn't working?

side-bar: I wonder what our american friends think of this argument; they must think we live on another planet. (no disrespect intended)

Al

[Lolly]

Al and Cathya; your discussion isn't as foreign to us in the U.S. as you might think as the Medicare/Medicaid government-run insurance program for our elderly, disabled and low income population works in much the same way, and, many of the insurance companies for the rest of the population follow Medicare's lead and won't approve a new treatment or drug until the government program allows it.

<3 Lolly

[Cathya]

This is so frustrating. For instance the sister of a neighbour here has multiple myeloma. There is a drug similar to herceptin for this illness and available in a couple of other provinces but not approved here in Ontario. It is simply a matter that the numbers are not there....the numbers inflicted with this illness as compared to breast cancer. The Ontario government approved herceptin but not this drug. It is not a cure but prolongs life but is as expensive as herceptin and the Ontario government made a financial decision and that was it. This new clinic would offer the drug to her but she would have to pay using either a secondary insurance provider or her own funds. If she had happened to live in a province which approved the drug it would be available. We say here we have universal health care but we don't. It really depends where you live in Canada. I believe that someone should take the government to court over this....that it is against our constitutional rights and I am surprised that no one or a group have not.