SASKATOON—The Federal and Provincial Ministers of Health signed a bilateral agreement on Friday, Jan. 10. The former promised $40 million to improve healthcare access and provide medical support to Saskatchewan residents with rare diseases. The ceremony was held at the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital’s Family Theater.
Minister Mark Holland, the Liberal MP for the electoral district of Ajax in the Durham region of Ontario, represented the federal with his provincial counterpart, Battlefords MLA Jeremy Cockrill, signing for the Saskatchewan government in signing the National Strategy for Drugs for Rare Diseases.
Holland emphasized the shared commitment of both governments to improve healthcare for all Canadians, including those with rare diseases, acknowledging the significant challenges faced by patients diagnosed with rare conditions, noting that one in twelve Canadians could receive such a diagnosis. While receiving such news is already a tough experience, the additional challenge of affording necessary medications can overwhelm families.
Jim Pattison is a renowned medical facility that offers exceptional healthcare services and treatment for young patients. Federal dollars will make life-saving medications more accessible to children diagnosed with rare conditions. Oxlumo and Epikinly are two of the drugs that the money will cover.
Oxlumo is a prescription drug for primary hyperoxaluria type 1. It lowers oxalate—a natural chemical in the body—in children's and adults' urine and blood. Epikinly is another prescription medicine for relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, high-grade B-cell lymphoma, or follicular lymphoma.
Holland said the federal health ministry will do its best to provide the funds needed under the agreement for the prescription drugs to be available and more affordable to Saskatchewan residents. He added that ensuring that those diagnosed with rare diseases do not face financial barriers to the treatments that can save their lives is essential, underscoring that the bilateral agreement would contribute to alleviating the financial burden for many Saskatchewan families, ensuring that no one would have to face these challenges alone. The partnership was a vital step toward a more equitable healthcare system in Canada.
“The way that I like to think of it is that it's rooted in scientific data and evidence, and what I believe is going to be shown as we move forward with these various interventions on making drugs more affordable is that we're going to be able to demonstrate in data, in evidence, in evaluation that not only is it good for patient outcomes in terms of extending life, making sure that people avoid poor outcomes, but it's going to be game-changing in terms of cost,” said Holland.
“Take one example, British Columbia, where they led the pack in terms of contraceptives being free; they're already in their first year of saving more money than it costs them for the drugs. It makes sense because if you imagine the devastating effect of not being able to have access to medicine, if you take something like diabetes, you end up with a much more acute and serious condition and that more serious condition is going to put you into a hospital or God forbid, take your life.”
Holland added that although he and Cockrill have different political views and could disagree on many issues regarding Canadian healthcare, they are united in their efforts to make changes that will better serve those who need it most.
“On health [issues], it doesn't matter how you look at it, you come to the same conclusions. Not having primary care, not identifying problems early, not having people able to afford their medicine, and not having access to care. This isn't just stupid because of poor health outcomes and people dying unnecessarily and getting sick unnecessarily; it's stupid in terms of cost. It's a broken way of doing things, and I think we have to call out into the night that it has to change, and what we're trying to do is step-by-step, inch-by-inch, make that change. I'll try to do it with as many partners as possible, as quickly as possible, but we have to live in a world where everybody affords their medicine,” said Holland.
He said the agreement draws attention to the significant economic burden of chronic diseases like diabetes, where Canada spends over $30 billion annually on managing it, a large portion from individuals’ inability to afford the medications they need for their condition. This inability to adhere to prescribed medication regimens leads to higher healthcare costs in the long term. Ensuring affordable drug access would improve individual health outcomes and save the healthcare system significant resources over time.
Cockrill, on his part, said officials from both health ministries have worked to finalize the agreement for months. The result is that federal funds would help support investments to improve healthcare for Saskatchewan’s residents with rare diseases.
“[The funds] will help us enhance our coverage for drugs that treat sporadic cancers and a rare inherited condition that affects kids. The Government of Saskatchewan already provides coverage for the cost of these three drugs. Still, as a result of today's agreement, this will contribute to the provincial investment already occurring to cover these drugs, which helps to sustain Saskatchewan's publicly funded drug plan for this generation and future generations,” said Cockrill.
“The Government of Saskatchewan is committed to providing high-quality, accessible health services and programs to our residents, and this agreement and this partnership with the federal government is essential to the ongoing commitment of both governments [federal and provincial] to improve access to innovative treatments, early diagnosis and screening and coverage of these high-cost drugs. I look forward to the continued work to improve the health and well-being of Saskatchewan residents.”
This collaborative approach is part of a more significant, nationwide effort to improve the availability of medications that are often unaffordable due to their high costs. The agreement also reflects the commitment of both the provincial and federal governments to make significant investments in public health, specifically addressing the needs of individuals suffering from rare diseases.
Both ministers were optimistic that the collaboration would improve the lives of Saskatchewan residents with rare diseases and set a precedent for future healthcare partnerships across the country. This is part of ongoing efforts to improve healthcare access and affordability.
