Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Ontario's generic drug policies: still up in the air?

Adam Radawanski, who I think is the reporter showing the most interest in the ongoing pharmaceutical regulation in Ontario issue, had an article in Friday's Globe titled "Looks deceiving in Ontario's generic-drug strategy". The key quote:

"Predictably, Finance Minister Dwight Duncan touted the imminent drug savings in his budget speech – the first time the Liberals have made much effort to publicly sell their reforms. But less predictably, the government also gave some observers the impression that it was already moving through with those reforms, by including them in its budget implementation bill.

In reality, all the budget bill will achieve is the really easy part. By changing some definitions, it will pave the way for the government to do away with “professional allowances” – the industry quirk that wildly inflates the price of prescriptions. But it won’t actually eliminate them, nor will it address the many challenges that will arise from doing so."

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