(image credit - CFJC Today)

By Michael Reeve

DRUG COVERAGE

Expanded coverage for drugs to treat diabetes a welcome step: Kamloops pharmacist

Jan 6, 2023 | 4:13 PM

KAMLOOPS — British Columbia has expanded pharmacare coverage of four drugs used to treat diabetes, as well as blood clots and heart failure.

Health Minister Adrian Dix says the drug sold under the brand name Ozempic, known as a common weight loss drug, will become available to more patients in B.C. with Type 2 diabetes, although the expansion falls short of regular benefit coverage.

Kamloops pharmacist Julie Ford said the increased access to the four new drugs is a positive step forward.

“Weight management is a huge part of managing your Type 2 diabetes. It is true that Ozempic is used for weight loss, and actually the demand of it has gone up significantly in the last year. Yes, it is true, you see lots of advertisements for it, and it is used for both but that is because weight management is a huge part of managing your Type 2 diabetes,” said Ford.

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The other medications with newly expanded coverage are Jardiance, Forxiga and apixaban. Forxiga and apixaban are now covered under regular benefits, when they had previously been limited, while the limited coverage of Jardiance is being expanded.

The new coverage allows patients to use the new drugs without having to try a long list of other medications first, which was the case with Ozempic.

“The problem with that drug was it could possibly lower your blood sugar so low that it would be dangerous. Now we have newer drugs, with new research and drugs on the market — why would our patients not want to be able use the newer products? And this is what these decisions have enabled physicians to do. It’s a lot easier to prescribe them and get them covered,” added Ford.