Whereas some British Columbia residents struggle with life-threatening allergies that can rapidly cause death if not treated immediately with an epinephrine auto-injector, oradrenaline auto-injector, also known as the EpiPen, amongst other brands; And whereas these adrenaline auto-injectors are expensive 100 plus resulting in lower income andor fixed income residents struggling to afford an adrenaline auto-injector, even with help from the current Pharmacare system; And whereas Naloxone and other drug overdose reversing medications are covered free of charge by the Province: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM urge the Province to develop an equitable system that would make available free of charge to lower income andor fixed income residents adrenaline auto-injectors to ensure the health of all British Columbians who struggle with life-threatening allergies.
Ministry of Health Adrenaline also known as epinephrine auto-injectors are a vital tool for British Columbians who struggle with life-threatening allergies. Many British Columbians already pay no cost for epinephrine injectors under various PharmaCare plans. PharmaCare provides coverage for the epinephrine injectors EpiPen, EpiPen Jr., and Allerject as Regular Benefits. PharmaCare coverage for prescription drugs and eligible medical supplies under the Fair PharmaCare plan is based on family net income. The lower a familys income, the more help they receive. For families with low incomes, the Fair PharmaCare program provides substantial financial assistance with the cost of their prescriptions. Under Fair PharmaCare, British Columbians with the lowest incomes i.e. an annual family income lower than 30,000 do not need to meet a deductible and receive 100 per cent coverage of eligible prescription medications, including epinephrine injectors. For families receiving medical benefits and income assistance through Recipients of BC Income Assistance Plan C, PharmaCare provides 100 percent coverage of eligible prescription medications, including epinephrine injectors. Children with severe disabilities who are recipients of the Children in the At Home Program Plan F through the Ministry of Children and Family Development receive 100 percent coverage of eligible prescription drugs and designated medical supplies, including epinephrine injectors. The First Nations Health Benefits Plan W provides 100 percent coverage of eligible prescription costs and certain medical supplies and pharmacy services such as epinephrine injectors, as well as certain over-the-counter drugs, devices, and some health products. People who are suffering from a substance abuse problem may find the cost of a naloxone kit to be an insurmountable financial obstacle due to their circumstances. There has been an unprecedented increase in the number of opioid overdose deaths in BC in recent years. Opioid overdose has become the leading cause of accidental death in the province, now far surpassing all deaths associated with motor vehicles. As part of the response to this public health emergency, the Government of BC has increased the availability of naloxone in the first responder community as well as among community workers, volunteers and individuals. Due to the life circumstances of the majority of those addicted to opioids, the BC Center for Disease Control decided to make naloxone kits and the training to use them available at no cost. The aim of needle exchange programs, supervised injection services, and the naloxone program is to reduce avoidable illnesses, the associated health system costs, and overall harm to society. For instance, methadone maintenance treatment and needle exchange programs mean fewer shared needles, which help to curb the spread of diseases such as hepatitis and human immunodeficiency virus HIV and lowers the health costs associated with those diseases. These programs also help to reduce property crime and violent crime associated with illegal drug use and the black market surrounding it. If you have any further questions or concerns about PharmaCare coverage of prescription medications, please contact Health Insurance of British Columbia by phone at 604 683-7151 in the lower mainland or, for the rest of BC, call 1 800 663-7100.