And as former Ontario cancer patients ourselves, we have notes for Premier Ford for his own province.
First, the Council of the Federation must help to fix our broken price negotiations process for new treatments that are unnecessarily long. Ontario is the largest partner at this pan-Canadian negotiation table, so Ford can ensure that processes that are delaying drugs getting to people in Ontario are done as quickly as possible.
Secondly, when these negotiations are completed, Ford can immediately have Ontario move much faster to make these drugs available to patients. Currently in Ontario, it takes almost half a year for these drugs, where a price has already been negotiated, to be made available to patients. This contrasts with Quebec, where it takes only an average of 44 days.
Ford should also ensure patients needing these medications in Ontario should get them through our publicly funded reimbursement plan as fast as possible. This will provide desperately needed relief for patients who urgently need these treatments but who can’t afford to pay.
Finally, Ford can immediately improve access to orally (or subcutaneously) administered cancer drugs that patients take at home. In Ontario, cancer patients younger than 65 years old face a two-tiered, out-of-date system that is riddled with administrative hurdles, out-of-pocket costs and delays for take-home cancer treatments.