This story is part of Situation Critical, a CBC British Columbia series reporting on the barriers people in this province face in accessing timely and appropriate health care.
Diabetes doctors say they are overjoyed to learn that the British Columbia government has removed some of the red tape blocking the way for patients seeking access to potentially life-saving drugs.
People with type 2 diabetes who want PharmaCare cover for the drug Ozempic will have to try just one cheaper drug first and will no longer be required to take a second treatment that doctors say is dangerous, Health Secretary Adrian Dix announced in Thursday.
“Ozempic is … a very good drug, and that’s why we’re moving it forward in this way, following the evidence, offering a rigorous and independent process,” he told reporters at a news conference.
Dr. Tom Elliott, the medical director of BC Diabetes, said the news was met with “hooting, hollering and high-fiving” in his office.
“I’m happy for my own clients,” he told the CBC. “It’s a fantastic day. I can’t wipe the smile off my face.”
The drug Jardiance, which, like Ozempic, works to lower patients’ blood sugar levels, will also be available through the expanded access process announced Thursday.
Meanwhile, Forxiga, another diabetes drug, and the blood thinner apixaban are now fully covered by PharmaCare.
BC tracks a high percentage of Americans seeking Ozempic
The announcement follows a CBC report showing that doctors like Elliott are growing frustrated with the process of proving that their patients should have access to Ozempic under PharmaCare special body program.
Special rights are only given to patients when a request is made by their doctor, and in cases like this only when cheaper drugs have failed.
Before Thursday’s news, patients typically had to have tried both a sulfonylurea drug and metformin before they could apply for Ozempic coverage.
Elliott said he refuses to prescribe sulfonylureas to his patients because they are so dangerous. These drugs can cause a person’s blood sugar levels to drop so low that they pass out, have a seizure, or even die.
Under the new system, no one will be required to try a sulfonylurea before getting access to Ozempic or Jardiance through PharmaCare. Only metformin is needed.
Elliott described metformin as a “safe drug” on Thursday, but noted that it can cause stomach upset in about 30 percent of patients.
Ozempic, on the other hand, is a “fantastic drug” in Elliott’s estimation.
“The commercials you see on American television are real. The drug is particularly effective for weight loss, and weight loss is a critical part of disease management in people with type 2 diabetes,” he said.
There is an ongoing shortage of diabetes drug Ozempic in the US (FPWCOz2)
Elliott said his goal now is to advocate for reductions in PharmaCare deductibles, which remain a major barrier for many diabetes patients.
During Thursday’s press conference, Dix also addressed the ongoing shortage of Ozempic in the U.S., which is linked to a trend on TikTok promoting its use as a weight-loss treatment.
Dix said British Columbia hasn’t seen a similar shortage, but the province has seen a significant number of Americans seeking prescriptions for Ozempic.
About nine percent of Ozempic prescriptions in British Columbia are for U.S. patients, he said. That’s 22 times the overall rate of Americans getting prescriptions in that province.
“We’re going to look at that … because we want to make sure that Ozempic is available to Canadians and people in British Columbia,” Dix said.
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