Health groups call for better drug coverage

From the Miramichi (NB) Leader:
When Ross Costain moved to New Brunswick from Prince Edward Island in April 2006, he went from having provincial health coverage to none at all.

Now he suddenly found himself paying around $759 per month for insulin and other measures he needs to cope with the Type 1 diabetes both he and his daughter Latisha have.

“That’s a house payment,” he said. “That’s a mortgage.”

As it stands, it’s enough medication and equipment to cover a small end table.

That cost includes testing strips, which Costain uses to test his blood sugar levels four times a day, to determine how much insulin his body needs to be injected at that particular moment.

With Latisha, who was diagnosed last September, it’s more complicated.

“I have to check her sugar very often,” he said.

As well, her blood sugar levels can change quickly, sometimes in as little as the 25 minutes it takes to ride the bus to school. ...more