NATIONAL PHARMACARE ‘WONDERFUL’ — BUT IT SHOULD ALSO PAY TO PREVENT DIABETES TREATMENT

Lois Cooper | MuskokaTODAY.com OPINION

A national universal pharmacare plan is wonderful news.

I let government officials at all levels know that this week.

Contraception and diabetes are the first subsidized medications that will go to Parliament for approval ahead of a March 1 deadline.

However, I read that the provinces will decide on what diabetes medications they will cover.

I have personal information to share about diabetes coverage in Ontario.

Federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau agreed to a deal this week ahead of a March 1 deadline for the beginnings of national pharmacare. Lois Cooper applauds their cooperation and encourages all parties to approve additional steps to prevent diabetes by supporting preventative health care measures, while also restricting provincial powers of administration of the billions of dollars in funding. Photo Council of Canadians / via Sean Kirkpatrick Canadian Press

I am 75. Two years ago I began fainting while working outdoors in my yard. It turns out I suffer from bouts of very low blood sugar without warning and I also experience low blood sugar while sleeping. This is a critical for me.

The answer seems simple.

I was prescribed a flash glucose monitoring system, which warns when my glucose is dropping and I simply must eat. This system works well.

I pay $180 a month.

But the province only pays for a glucose monitoring system if I take insulin.

Which makes no sense.

With the mounting number of diabetes 2 cases, it makes sense to have people monitoring their glucose before a diagnosis of diabetes necessitates medication at a higher cost.

Patients can most likely prevent full blown diabetes, if they learn to eat according the numbers provided by the continuous blood glucose monitor.

That would save the healthcare system and the new pharmacare plan a lot of money.

This is an example of a province not being the best decision-maker for drug care.

The example of having Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada manage Ottawa’s new Canadian Dental Care Plan is a model I think would work best for the new Canadian pharmacare plan.

I think the federal government should claw back funds currently spent by the provinces and territories on drug benefits and have the National Canadian Pharmacare Plan under one manager.

The money saved by having one manager is unimaginable.

I started paying over $200 for a 10-day blood glucose monitor.

After careful investigation, I now pay $90 for a 14-day monitor.

My  most recent monitor prescription refill was $360 for eight weeks.

Please consider this information before implementing the new Canadian Pharmacare Plan.

Ontario and federal New Democrats have long advocated for national dental and pharmacare. It appears the two could finally come together in law. Photo Ontario NDP

EMAIL: [email protected]

30  years of TRUSTED ‘Local Online Journalism’

Twitter: @muskokatoday, Facebook: mclairmont1

Leave comments at end of story

SUBSCRIBE for $25 by e-transferring to [email protected]

Mail cheque to MuskokaTODAY.com Box 34 Gravenhurst, Ont. P1P 1T5

And include your email address to get stories sent to your inbox