The Manitoba government has added 93 new drugs to the provincial medicare formulary and negotiated lower drug prices, which will save families $5 million annually. This announcement was made by Health Minister Erin Selby.
“Manitoba families depend on these important drugs to maintain or improve their quality of life. Families deserve access to today’s most effective drug treatments and that is why our government has worked hard to increase the number of drugs on the Manitoba formulary while making certain it is the best value for their tax dollars,” said the minister.
The minister noted five new drugs were added to the as a result of Manitoba’s participation in the Pan-Canadian Pricing Alliance:
- Cimzia, for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis;
- Eliquis, for the prevention of stroke and systemic embolism in patients with atrial fibrillation;
- Onbrez, for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease;
- Stribild, for the treatment of HIV-1 infection; and
- Xalkori, for the treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer.
The lower prices announced today will save the pharmacare program $3.9 million per year and Manitoba families also benefit from these lower drug prices negotiated by government with expected savings of $5 million per year, the minister said.
The Pan-Canadian Pricing Alliance was established in 2010 to enable provinces and territories to leverage their collective purchasing power to secure lower prices for prescription drugs and increase access to drug treatment options. So far, negotiations have been completed for 17 brand name drug products. An additional 15 negotiations are underway, which will result in approximately $60 to $70 million in savings annually.
“New legislation brought forward by the Manitoba government will formalize this new pricing structure in law. Bill 45, the competitive drug pricing act, will enhance the province’s ability to negotiate lower generic drug prices and would ensure a more reliable drug supply for Manitoba families,” the minister said.
The provincial government has also worked to broaden the number of generic versions of prescription drugs, which save money for Manitoba families and reduce provincial drug costs, said the minister.
According to the Canadian Generic Pharmaceutical Association, generic drugs accounted for 65.1 per cent of prescriptions in Manitoba in 2011, the highest use of generics in Canada.
Pharmacare is a universal prescription drug program for Manitobans with benefits based on family income. It covers 100 per cent of eligible drug costs once the income-based deductible is reached regardless of medical condition or age.
More information about the Manitoba Pharmacare Program is available at www.gov.mb.ca/health/pharmacare.
