It is now widely believed that the generic version of Crestor (another cholesterol drug) will be available for the market by April 2012. Great for the health care budget.
Crestor was the the most costly drug in Canada last year coming it at $875,000,000.
Newfoundland and Labrador's portion of this was over $19 million.
When the generic is released it will cost approximately half of this amount or over $800,000 a month savings.
If we continue down the same path used for introducing new generics - we will waste over 3 million dollars.
Just imagine the savings.
Now this is a heads-up to the Minister of Health, the Minister of Finance, and the government.
Will they now deal with this problem?
Will the media or Opposition parties ask the questions?
Showing posts with label cholesterol. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cholesterol. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
More $$$$ lost from Health Care - Secret Committee
Another half million dollars down the tube as Newfoundland and Labrador takes 40 days longer to list new generic.
In this case Lipitor - a brand drug to help control cholesterol - came off patent protection in May 2010 - and should have been on our formulary by July 1 of 2010. Atorvastatin the generic version did not make our formulary until August 11 2010. This 41 day delay cost us close to half a million dollars.
More interesting in this case - it may very well have been delayed until December of 2010 - if the Council of Independent Community Pharmacy Owners did not directly advise the Department of Finance of this problem.
That would have cost close to 2 million dollars.
Since that time the situation has not been corrected and we continue to lose millions of dollars.
This is the second example of wastage.
Where are the questions?
Where is the media?
These numbers can be independently verified.
Why are drugs available in our hospitals but not available at the retail pharmacy?
Here is another half million for surgeries to remove excess skin or quicker MRI's.
In this case Lipitor - a brand drug to help control cholesterol - came off patent protection in May 2010 - and should have been on our formulary by July 1 of 2010. Atorvastatin the generic version did not make our formulary until August 11 2010. This 41 day delay cost us close to half a million dollars.
More interesting in this case - it may very well have been delayed until December of 2010 - if the Council of Independent Community Pharmacy Owners did not directly advise the Department of Finance of this problem.
That would have cost close to 2 million dollars.
Since that time the situation has not been corrected and we continue to lose millions of dollars.
This is the second example of wastage.
Where are the questions?
Where is the media?
These numbers can be independently verified.
Why are drugs available in our hospitals but not available at the retail pharmacy?
Here is another half million for surgeries to remove excess skin or quicker MRI's.
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