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.
Showing posts with label eastern health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label eastern health. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Monday, March 12, 2012
Minister Sullivan should Answer or Resign $$$$ wasted!
Sue's Blog featured two posts on the "secret committee" of government responsible for advising the Minister of Health regarding new listings of generics on our formulary.
Please read Press Here Part 1 and Press Here Part 2
Further to these posts - I would like to inform the people of Newfoundland and Labrador that we have lost almost 1 million dollars more from January - April of 2012.
Many of you are familiar with Plavix - a drug that helps to prevent future risks of heart attacks and strokes.
In Canada it is estimated that the introduction of the generic form of Plavix would save Canadians and provincial drug plans hundreds of millions a year.
The sales of Plavix are estimated to be 300 million a year - Newfoundland and Labrador's portion is 6.6 million.
The cost of Plavix versus the cost of the generic equivalent is about double.
The generic version was approved by Health Canada, December 2011 and was listed by several provinces by January 2012.
4 months will have passed before Newfoundland and Labrador gets the benefit of the new generic. That means that we will have spent $1,650,000 when we could have spent $822,500 if the generic was listed in a timely manner.
Why would people in Nova Scotia or Ontario get timely access when we do not?
Why are we wasting hundreds of thousands of dollars in health care when we have people crying out for surgery to remove access skin - or waiting on cardiac surgeries?
Over the next few days I will list a dozen more examples of extreme waste in our system.
When will the Opposition parties demand answers?
When will the media ask questions?
What is going on in this secret committee? Will government release the minutes of their deliberations?
Remember now this is only one drug. Imagine what dollars have been and continue to be wasted.
The Auditor General needs to be called in. Investigation needed.
Please read Press Here Part 1 and Press Here Part 2
Further to these posts - I would like to inform the people of Newfoundland and Labrador that we have lost almost 1 million dollars more from January - April of 2012.
Many of you are familiar with Plavix - a drug that helps to prevent future risks of heart attacks and strokes.
In Canada it is estimated that the introduction of the generic form of Plavix would save Canadians and provincial drug plans hundreds of millions a year.
The sales of Plavix are estimated to be 300 million a year - Newfoundland and Labrador's portion is 6.6 million.
The cost of Plavix versus the cost of the generic equivalent is about double.
The generic version was approved by Health Canada, December 2011 and was listed by several provinces by January 2012.
4 months will have passed before Newfoundland and Labrador gets the benefit of the new generic. That means that we will have spent $1,650,000 when we could have spent $822,500 if the generic was listed in a timely manner.
Why would people in Nova Scotia or Ontario get timely access when we do not?
Why are we wasting hundreds of thousands of dollars in health care when we have people crying out for surgery to remove access skin - or waiting on cardiac surgeries?
Over the next few days I will list a dozen more examples of extreme waste in our system.
When will the Opposition parties demand answers?
When will the media ask questions?
What is going on in this secret committee? Will government release the minutes of their deliberations?
Remember now this is only one drug. Imagine what dollars have been and continue to be wasted.
The Auditor General needs to be called in. Investigation needed.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Health - Is anybody Home? Your Life may depend on It!
Patients at Vancouver General Hospital are nearly twice as likely to
survive as patients at some facilities in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Read it Press Here
Read it Press Here
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)