A Saanich resident is speaking out about the cost of prescription drugs for her son after reading that many Canadians are borrowing money just to afford medication.
Melissa OzardB次元官网网址檚 21-year-old son, Tristin, has CrohnB次元官网网址檚 disease B次元官网网址� a disease that causes inflammation of the digestive tract and can lead to severe symptoms that can require hospitalization.
Tristin was diagnosed with the disease when he was eight years old.
After trying several medications that did not work for him and being in and out of the hospital, he was able to settle for one called Remicade.
Remicade costs about $8,000 per dose. For Tristin, it has brought him into remission.
READ MORE: B.C. residents rally for medication
The medication B次元官网网址� which is made from living cell organisms B次元官网网址� must be taken intravenously and takes about four hours to infuse. Tristin needs a dose of the medication every four weeks.
B次元官网网址淗eB次元官网网址檚 failed on every other drug before that, nothing else has worked,B次元官网网址� said Melissa. B次元官网网址淚t used to be a last line of defense drug and on top of that, he needs more of it than the average person for it to work.B次元官网网址�
She noted her son used to go to a clinic in Vancouver to receive the medication at a pediatric facility. At the time, the cost of the drug was completely covered.
Now that he has aged out of the pediatric system, he receives treatment on the Island, but the cost is no longer covered.
Ozard said PharmaCare originally offered to pay for half of his doses, leaving the family with a bill of about $4,000 a month to keep him on it.
However, PharmaCare has retracted their offer and as of August, said nothing would be covered, according to Melissa.
B次元官网网址淭hey said his dose is too high B次元官网网址� because he requires it every four weeks they wonB次元官网网址檛 cover it at all,B次元官网网址� she noted. B次元官网网址淭hey found a loophole.B次元官网网址�
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Melissa and her husband put every dollar they have into TristinB次元官网网址檚 medication and have even asked family and friends for help through a GoFundMe page.
B次元官网网址淭he issue for us is every month going to family members and saying B次元官网网址榗an you help us?B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 humiliating and horrific and weB次元官网网址檙e putting them in a horrible position.B次元官网网址�
But they do what they need to for their son, who is enrolled in college courses and would not be able to afford the medication on his own.
On top of his CrohnB次元官网网址檚 diagnosis, Melissa said Tristin deals with mental illness and is receiving disability support from the province.
There is an option to get some coverage through a patient assistance program but she said her son would have to surrender all of his medical records to a pharmaceutical company and receive his medication at a private site instead of a hospital.
Tristin sees many doctors due to his mental illness and because of that, is not comfortable giving his medical records out.
The private sites, Melissa said, have also been known to not keep the medication he takes at the appropriate temperature necessary.
READ MORE: Federal budget fosters Pharmacare, pot-based drugs
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 too high a price to pay for some people,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淗e doesnB次元官网网址檛 want to use them, it scares him.B次元官网网址�
However, if he goes off the medication, he would be hospitalized within weeks.
MelissaB次元官网网址檚 not sure what the solution is, but that she hopes more people learn about the cost of prescription drugs and consider how it may affect other people.
B次元官网网址淗e wants to do something with his life B次元官网网址� This is an important issue.B次元官网网址�
shalu.mehta@goldstreamgazette.com
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