From the Fredericton (NB) Daily Gleaner:
Regulatory changes proposed by the federal government that would delay the introduction of generic versions of brand-name drugs could mean millions of dollars in extra costs for New Brunswick's drug plan.
The Conservative government introduced changes to Canada's drug patent rules in April that critics claim would allow pharmaceutical companies to extend exclusive rights on some drugs beyond the current 20-year term.
New Brunswick Health Minister Mike Murphy said Thursday the proposed changes may delay the introduction of generic versions of popular drugs such as cholesterol-lowering medication Lipitor, blood-pressure drug Norvasc, and Celebrex.
He said the province spent more than $14 million on the trio of medications last year, adding generic versions would slash prices by up to 50 per cent.
Medication for seniors and nursing-home residents, among others, costs the drug plan more than $160 million annually. ...more
Showing posts with label New Brunswick. Show all posts
Showing posts with label New Brunswick. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Pharmacists to ease strain on health care
From the Fredericton (NB) Daily Gleaner:
It's going to get a lot easier to get your prescription refilled this fall.
A private members bill amending the Pharmacy Act was introduced in the legislature Tuesday.
Starting Oct. 20, pharmacists will be able to refill prescriptions for chronic conditions.
New Brunswick Pharmaceutical Society registrar Bill Veniot said the change will improve access to health care for New Brunswickers.
"We use the example of a patient who has been on blood pressure medication for 10 years (and) he has run out of his medication before he is able to see his doctor," said Veniot. ...more
It's going to get a lot easier to get your prescription refilled this fall.
A private members bill amending the Pharmacy Act was introduced in the legislature Tuesday.
Starting Oct. 20, pharmacists will be able to refill prescriptions for chronic conditions.
New Brunswick Pharmaceutical Society registrar Bill Veniot said the change will improve access to health care for New Brunswickers.
"We use the example of a patient who has been on blood pressure medication for 10 years (and) he has run out of his medication before he is able to see his doctor," said Veniot. ...more
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Pharmacists soon to prescribe drugs
I find it interesting that the New Brunswick Medical Society is in favour of pharmacist prescribing, while in Alberta the Alberta Medical Association is mostly against the concept. However, it doesn't sound that the N.B. plan is quite as far-reaching as the initial prescribing program that has started in Alberta.
From the Moncton (NB) Times & Transcript:
New Brunswick pharmacists are prescribing their own medicine to help solve the province's overburdened health-care system.
The New Brunswick Pharmaceutical Society has drafted a private members' bill, which will give pharmacists the power to renew, extend, or alter prescriptions and diagnose "minor" and "chronic" conditions and ailments.
The Liberal government tabled the bill and supported it yesterday in the legislature.
Bill Veniot, registrar of the New Brunswick Pharmaceutical Society, called the legislation a step forward for health care in the province, but said pharmacists would not be taking on the work of doctors.
"This is about greater access to pharmacists, greater access to necessary services. It is about the pharmacist being able to work for their full scope of practice."
Health Minister Mike Murphy has echoed the message of pharmacists, who believe they can help cut down on lineups at hospitals and make medications more accessible to New Brunswickers.
"People going to the hospital to get renewals on prescriptions, that won't be happening anymore. We won't be clogging up the waiting areas for that," says Dennis Abud, president of the New Brunswick Pharmacists' Association. ...more
New Brunswick pharmacists to prescribe drugs under new legislation
From the Canadian Press:
Pharmacists in New Brunswick will soon be able to prescribe certain drugs as a result of a bill tabled in the legislature Tuesday.
The bill, which was introduced on behalf of the New Brunswick Pharmaceutical Society, was promised earlier this year in the provincial health plan. "This enhanced role for pharmacists is in keeping with our commitment to give patients better access to health care by enhancing the role of health-care providers," said Health Minister Mike Murphy.
Murphy said people who have an established diagnosis from their doctor for conditions such as allergies, asthma, diabetes or high cholesterol can consider seeing their pharmacist for a prescription.
An example could be someone who has been on blood pressure medication for 10 years but has run out of medication and was unable to see their doctor for a couple of weeks. A pharmacist would be able to provide that patient with medication to allow time for a followup with their doctor. ...more
Pharmacists in New Brunswick will soon be able to prescribe certain drugs as a result of a bill tabled in the legislature Tuesday.
The bill, which was introduced on behalf of the New Brunswick Pharmaceutical Society, was promised earlier this year in the provincial health plan. "This enhanced role for pharmacists is in keeping with our commitment to give patients better access to health care by enhancing the role of health-care providers," said Health Minister Mike Murphy.
Murphy said people who have an established diagnosis from their doctor for conditions such as allergies, asthma, diabetes or high cholesterol can consider seeing their pharmacist for a prescription.
An example could be someone who has been on blood pressure medication for 10 years but has run out of medication and was unable to see their doctor for a couple of weeks. A pharmacist would be able to provide that patient with medication to allow time for a followup with their doctor. ...more
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Provincial funding of cancer drug Avastin is unlikely
From the Fredericton (NB) Daily Gleaner:
Officials from New Brunswick's Department of Health say they're not ready to change their minds about adding cancer drug Avastin to the provincial medical formulary.
Avastin is mainly prescribed for colorectal cancer patients and the manufacturers of the medication say a dozen treatments given over a six-month period cost about $21,000.
After Nova Scotia recently became the fifth province in Canada to fund the costly cancer treatment, advocate Carrol Stewart thought New Brunswick might revisit its decision.
Stewart said she has collected almost 4,000 signatures of people who believe the province should add the drug to the provincial formulary.
She said she recently submitted the list of signatures to Health Minister Mike Murphy's office and sent copies to Premier Shawn Graham and several MLAs and MPs. ...more
Officials from New Brunswick's Department of Health say they're not ready to change their minds about adding cancer drug Avastin to the provincial medical formulary.
Avastin is mainly prescribed for colorectal cancer patients and the manufacturers of the medication say a dozen treatments given over a six-month period cost about $21,000.
After Nova Scotia recently became the fifth province in Canada to fund the costly cancer treatment, advocate Carrol Stewart thought New Brunswick might revisit its decision.
Stewart said she has collected almost 4,000 signatures of people who believe the province should add the drug to the provincial formulary.
She said she recently submitted the list of signatures to Health Minister Mike Murphy's office and sent copies to Premier Shawn Graham and several MLAs and MPs. ...more
Thursday, April 03, 2008
New Brunswick to set up online drug-control program
From CBC News:
The New Brunswick government has awarded the contract for development of an online drug control program to Medavie Blue Cross of Moncton.
Health Minister Mike Murphy made the announcement Tuesday afternoon in the provincial legislature in Fredericton.
The program will allow the province to track the use of prescribed narcotics like OxyContin, which is a group of drugs similar to morphine, and Dilaudid, a derivative of morphine.
The program will also monitor the prescribing patterns of doctors and drug patterns of patients, Murphy said.
Pharmacists will be taught how to use the new online program, Murphy said.
"All of the province's approximately 190 community pharmacies will be linked in the system, and pharmacists trained over a period of about one year," Murphy said. ...more
The New Brunswick government has awarded the contract for development of an online drug control program to Medavie Blue Cross of Moncton.
Health Minister Mike Murphy made the announcement Tuesday afternoon in the provincial legislature in Fredericton.
The program will allow the province to track the use of prescribed narcotics like OxyContin, which is a group of drugs similar to morphine, and Dilaudid, a derivative of morphine.
The program will also monitor the prescribing patterns of doctors and drug patterns of patients, Murphy said.
Pharmacists will be taught how to use the new online program, Murphy said.
"All of the province's approximately 190 community pharmacies will be linked in the system, and pharmacists trained over a period of about one year," Murphy said. ...more
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
N.B. to offer HPV vaccination to girls
From CBC News:
New Brunswick will offer a school-based vaccination program to protect girls from the human papillomavirus, beginning in the 2008-2009 academic year.
Health Minister Mike Murphy announced in Saint John on Tuesday that the vaccination, which is meant to serve as protection from cervical cancer, will be part of the province's yet-to-be-released health plan.
"A comprehensive provincial cervical cancer prevention and screening strategy has the potential to drastically reduce this form of cancer in the province," Murphy said.
HPV is among the most common sexually transmitted infections in Canada with estimates suggesting about 75 per cent of women will have at least one HPV infection in their lifetime. ...more
New Brunswick will offer a school-based vaccination program to protect girls from the human papillomavirus, beginning in the 2008-2009 academic year.
Health Minister Mike Murphy announced in Saint John on Tuesday that the vaccination, which is meant to serve as protection from cervical cancer, will be part of the province's yet-to-be-released health plan.
"A comprehensive provincial cervical cancer prevention and screening strategy has the potential to drastically reduce this form of cancer in the province," Murphy said.
HPV is among the most common sexually transmitted infections in Canada with estimates suggesting about 75 per cent of women will have at least one HPV infection in their lifetime. ...more
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
N.B. tops absenteeism list for Canadian health-care workers
From CBC News:
New Brunswick has the highest rate of absenteeism among health-care workers in Canada while those in Alberta missed the fewest days, according to a Canadian Institute for Health Information study.
Health-care workers in New Brunswick are absent an average of 16.1 days annually, compared to a national average of 12 days a year, according to the study, published Monday. In Alberta, the average was 7.2 days a year.
New Brunswick's health-care workers also far exceeded the national average for workers of all kinds in Canada, who missed an average of seven days of work in 2006. For 20 years, health-care workers have had the highest average of lost work days compared to the rest of the Canadian population, according to the study.
On a national level, the researchers found that nurses are far more likely to be away from work than other health-care professionals — averaging 14.1 days a year. Doctors average 2.8 missed days annually, while those working in therapy and medical assessments average 8.1 days and pharmacists average four. ...more
New Brunswick has the highest rate of absenteeism among health-care workers in Canada while those in Alberta missed the fewest days, according to a Canadian Institute for Health Information study.
Health-care workers in New Brunswick are absent an average of 16.1 days annually, compared to a national average of 12 days a year, according to the study, published Monday. In Alberta, the average was 7.2 days a year.
New Brunswick's health-care workers also far exceeded the national average for workers of all kinds in Canada, who missed an average of seven days of work in 2006. For 20 years, health-care workers have had the highest average of lost work days compared to the rest of the Canadian population, according to the study.
On a national level, the researchers found that nurses are far more likely to be away from work than other health-care professionals — averaging 14.1 days a year. Doctors average 2.8 missed days annually, while those working in therapy and medical assessments average 8.1 days and pharmacists average four. ...more
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Liberals play up health reforms
From the Fredericton (NB) Daily Gleaner:
The Liberal government will soon unveil its provincial health plan, which includes help for seniors to stay in their homes, allowing pharmacists to prescribe some medication and regulating midwifery.
There will also be a dial-a-dietician service and more restrictions on the display of tobacco products.
"A self-sufficient New Brunswick requires healthy people with access to high-quality and accessible health-care services," said Lt.-Gov Hermenegilde Chiasson, who read the throne speech Tuesday. ...more
The Liberal government will soon unveil its provincial health plan, which includes help for seniors to stay in their homes, allowing pharmacists to prescribe some medication and regulating midwifery.
There will also be a dial-a-dietician service and more restrictions on the display of tobacco products.
"A self-sufficient New Brunswick requires healthy people with access to high-quality and accessible health-care services," said Lt.-Gov Hermenegilde Chiasson, who read the throne speech Tuesday. ...more
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Protect medication like cash, says N.B. pharmacist
From CBC News:
People who take prescribed painkillers have to be careful not to draw attention to the drugs they are taking, a Sackville pharmacy owner said Wednesday.
George Murray, who is a past president of the Canadian Pharmacists Association, was reacting to an incident Monday in which a customer at Lawton's Drug Store on Elmwood Drive in Moncton was assaulted and had his narcotics stolen at gunpoint outside the pharmacy.
Murray said a person should take the same precautions with drugs as are followed when visiting a bank or using an automatic teller. ...more
People who take prescribed painkillers have to be careful not to draw attention to the drugs they are taking, a Sackville pharmacy owner said Wednesday.
George Murray, who is a past president of the Canadian Pharmacists Association, was reacting to an incident Monday in which a customer at Lawton's Drug Store on Elmwood Drive in Moncton was assaulted and had his narcotics stolen at gunpoint outside the pharmacy.
Murray said a person should take the same precautions with drugs as are followed when visiting a bank or using an automatic teller. ...more
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
N.B. pharmacists could gain right to prescribe at counter
From CBC News:
Pharmacists in New Brunswick could soon be allowed to prescribe some medications without authorization from a doctor.
Last week Health Minister Mike Murphy indicated pharmacists could be given more professional responsibility, including the power to prescribe certain drugs.
Pharmacists at their annual meeting in Saint John over the weekend were excited about the possibility of additional powers to meet the health needs of their customers.
Saint John pharmacist Janet MacDonnell said it would make everyone's life easier if pharmacists could prescribe certain drugs. Some simple cases, such as insect bites requiring a prescribed ointment, could easily be handled at her counter. ...more
Pharmacists in New Brunswick could soon be allowed to prescribe some medications without authorization from a doctor.
Last week Health Minister Mike Murphy indicated pharmacists could be given more professional responsibility, including the power to prescribe certain drugs.
Pharmacists at their annual meeting in Saint John over the weekend were excited about the possibility of additional powers to meet the health needs of their customers.
Saint John pharmacist Janet MacDonnell said it would make everyone's life easier if pharmacists could prescribe certain drugs. Some simple cases, such as insect bites requiring a prescribed ointment, could easily be handled at her counter. ...more
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
More responsibility should mean more pay: pharmacist
This article really touches the bottom line when it comes to pharmacist prescribing: who is going to pay for it. If pharmacists are expected to go through extra training and take on extra responsibility, it's reasonable that they are reimbursed for this. However, it's unclear where the payment will come from.
In Alberta, the major drug plans will honour pharmacist-written prescriptions, but with the usual dispensing fee structure. Neither the drug plans or the provincial government will pay for the pharmacist's cognitive services. This lack of third party reimbursement will drive patients away from pharmacist prescribing for financial reasons alone.
In Alberta, the major drug plans will honour pharmacist-written prescriptions, but with the usual dispensing fee structure. Neither the drug plans or the provincial government will pay for the pharmacist's cognitive services. This lack of third party reimbursement will drive patients away from pharmacist prescribing for financial reasons alone.
From CBC News:
If New Brunswick pharmacists are required to take on some of the duties now performed by doctors, they'll expect to be compensated for it, warns Moncton pharmacist John Staples.
Health Minister Mike Murphy indicated on Monday that New Brunswick pharmacists will soon be given more professional responsibility, which could include the power to prescribe some medications.
"There seems to be a consensus that a larger role for pharmacists is needed. There's no question," Murphy said Tuesday. ...more
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