MPP speaks to concerns over generic drug changes

Letter to the editor

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To the Editor:

By now you’ve likely heard about our government’s plans to reform the prescription drug system to ensure the wider availability of more affordable drugs.

You may be wondering what this reform means for pharmacies in Huron-Bruce. I want you to know that our government values pharmacy services in rural and underserviced areas. That is why we’re devoting additional funding to ensure that the pharmacies in these communities can continue providing quality services that their customers depend on. This funding would come in three ways:

• By increasing dispending fees by up to $4 for every Ontario Drug Benefit prescription rural and underserviced pharmacies fill.
• By compensating pharmacies directly for the professional services pharmacists provide to patients.
• By creating a specific fund to support pharmacies in rural and under-serviced areas.

The changes we’re making to Ontario’s drug system are about getting better value for taxpayer dollars. Currently, Ontarians are paying too much for generic prescription drugs — in certain cases more than five times what some U.S. states pay.  

That’s why the McGuinty government is reducing the price of generic drugs by at least 50 per cent. This will have big benefits for consumers who pay for their drugs out-of-pocket, people who have a drug plan through their employer and people who use Ontario’s public drug programs.

Here’s an example of how the changes our government is making will make drugs more affordable for someone without a drug plan: once our reforms take full effect, a 45-year-old man who pays for Metformin, a generic drug to treat Type 2 Diabetes, could save about $107 a year.  At the same time, someone who takes Ramipril, a generic drug used to treat high blood pressure, could save more than $160 a year once the changes are complete.

We’re securing lower drug prices and meaningful savings for Ontarians, but not at the expense of pharmacy services in rural and underserviced areas of the province. Our government will ensure continued access to pharmacy services in these communities by increasing dispensing fees for pharmacies, adding more funding for professional services, and dedicating more funding to ensure these pharmacies will continue to provide the services that rural Ontarians need.

For more information on drug system reform, visit www.ontario.ca/fairdrugprices. If you have any further questions on this matter, please don't hesitate to contact my constituency offices in Clinton or Kincardine.

Sincerely,
Carol Mitchell, M.P.P.
Huron-Bruce

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Monday, April 26, 2010