Patient advocate 'deeply disappointed' budget won't cover cancer meds taken at home

Cancer patients in Nova Scotia who want to take oral medications at home instead of being treated at hospital will continue to suffer financially under the new Liberal budget, according to a patient advocacy group.

"It is deeply disappointing," saidDebMaskins, a kidney cancer patient and co-founder ofCanCertainty, a coalitionof 35 cancerorganizations.

The2017-2018 provincial budget was tabled Thursday but doesn't address the costs of cancer drugs prescribed for patients outside of a hospital setting,

The provincial Health Department covers the cost of cancer treatments administered intravenously in a hospital setting. Patients who take oral medication at home are responsible for the costs.

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For "a modest investment" of $1.8 million, the government could spare patients the financial burden of paying out of pocket forprescribed cancer medication, Maskins told CBC Nova Scotia's Information Morning on Friday.

$11M spent on oral cancer drugs

Those without private insurance can apply to Nova Scotia's family pharmacareprogram.But either way, the deductible and co-payment ceilings for cancer drugs are high and represent a significant percentage of family income,Maskinssaid.

"That represents an average of $3,000 per year for every year they stay on the drug," she said.

Health Minister LeoGlavinesaid the government currently spends $11 million to $12 million annually on oral cancer drugs under several pharmacareprograms administered by the province.

"We have been working withCancertaintyto look at this issue," he said. "In fact, after a recentmeeting, we reviewed our internal processes to ensure patients accessing oral cancer therapies through ourprograms are not experiencing excessive delays.

"As a result, coverage is processed the same day an application is received."

'Mythical pharmacare program'

CanCertaintyhired an economist to determine what the government would have to spend to close the coverage gap between hospital treatment and medication required for out-of-hospital carefor those with no private insurance, or limited coverage.

The data received from the Department of Healthshowed $1.8 million would be required, Angela Rocchi said Friday.

"This is the first time we've seen these numbers from Cancertainty so we need to validate them," Glavine said.

"We also continue to push for a national pharmacare program. We will see how quickly we can advance this work as a region.Ifnot, we will look to see what we can do on our own, provincially, to resolve this issue."

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Maskins said the Liberalsshould have included the $1.8 million in this budget while continuing thequest for federal funding.

"We cannot continue to wait for this mythical pharmacare program," shesaid. "Cancer patients cannot afford to wait."

Coverage in western provinces

Most of the western provinces cover oral cancer drugs for patient use outside of hospitals and Ontario is beginning to address the problem, Maskins said.

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A check of drug coverage policies across the country showed:

• Canadians living in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan or Manitoba have their cancer drugs paid by the provincial government regardless of their age, income level or whether they are intravenously or orally administered.
• Although the funding mechanisms are different, Canadians in Quebec also have both intravenous and oral cancer drugs reimbursed, regardless of age or income level.
• Oral, take-home cancer drugs are covered by the territorial governments but sometimes with deductibles of less than $500.

The other three Atlantic provinces also lack universalcoverage for cancer drugs.