Thousands of British Columbians will soon benefit from the British Columbia government’s expansion of the BC PharmaCare program.
From Thursday, the range of drugs was expanded to include drugs used to treat type 2 diabetes, heart failure and blood clots.
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“This is a very important step in our province,” said Adrian Dix, British Columbia’s Minister of Health.
“The medicine in question affects 245,000 people. These are much needed medicines in our province.
Drug coverage for two drugs will be expanded from limited coverage to regular benefits — dapagliflozin (Forxiga) and apixaban (generic).
Two other drugs, empagliflozin (Jardiance) and semaglutide (Ozempic), which are covered by PharmaCare under specific medical circumstances, will have expanded criteria, according to the British Columbia Ministry of Health.
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“The changes will ensure that coverage is consistent with clinical evidence and improve patient access to appropriate drugs,” ministry staff said in a statement.
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Dapagliflozin (Forxiga) is approved by Health Canada to treat several conditions such as heart failure, type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease.
It was first listed as a limited-coverage benefit through PharmaCare for heart failure patients with “reduced ejection fraction” on January 11, 2022, a condition in which the left ventricular muscle does not pump normally.
Currently, approximately 2,000 patients in British Columbia benefit from dapagliflozin under limited coverage, according to the ministry. The expansion to regular benefit is expected to benefit an additional 5,000 patients in the first year.
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Apixaban (generic) is a blood thinner used to prevent or treat blood clots.
Currently, 45,000 patients in British Columbia benefit from apixaban under limited coverage, according to the British Columbia government. The expansion to a regular benefit is expected to benefit about 24,000 more patients, officials say.
Expanding the limited coverage criteria for empagliflozin (Jardiance) and semaglutide (Ozempic) will make it easier for patients to apply for coverage of these two drugs, which work to lower blood sugar levels in adults with type 2 diabetes, according to the government.
PharmaCare changed coverage from third-line to second-line.
Patients will now have to try just one drug, metformin, before their doctor can request coverage of empagliflozin or semaglutide, according to the ministry.
PharmaCare is a publicly funded program that helps British Columbians pay for certain prescription drugs, medical supplies and pharmacy services.
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