Question 1:
In a poll conducted by Innovative Research Group in August of 2016, healthcare is the number three issue (behind housing and the economy, and just in front of education) on the minds of BC voters.
If elected:
A) How will your government improve the delivery of cancer care and other healthcare services in BC?
B) Will your government restructure healthcare delivery, and if so, how?
C) How will your government ensure that cancer patients receive the services they need, including home care, financial assistance during recovery and for long-term side effects of cancer and/or treatment?
D) What will your government do to better the wait time for people who require an operation?
Question 2:
A key element of providing timely treatment for cancer patients is ensuring that they have access to the medications they need at the time they need them. Unfortunately, this is not always the case in British Columbia.
As of January 31, 2015 British Columbia drug plans covered 19.6% of the 464 new drugs approved by Health Canada from 2004-2013 and the average number days to list the new drug covered under each public drug plan was 787 (Coverage for new medicines in Canada’s public drug plans, 2015, Mark Rovere and Dr. Brett J. Skinner).
A) If elected, will your government commit to increasing the number of new cancer and other drugs approved for public reimbursement so that all British Columbians have timely access to the drugs they need, and if so, how will this be accomplished?
B) If elected to government will you undertake negotiations leading to regional collaboration to ensure timely patient access to cancer drugs?
Question 3:
A study published from the University of British Columbia says that one in 12 Canadians (aged 55 and older) were the second most likely among comparable countries to stop filling their prescriptions in 2014 because of cost.
A) If elected to government, what will your party do to make prescription medications more affordable?
B) Why is there such a difference between BC and other provinces?
We thank you for your attention to this important matter.
Yours sincerely,
Kati Oliver
Program and Projects Manager | Gestionnaire, Projets et programmes
Canadian Cancer Survivor Network
Response:
Hello Kati,
I will do everything possible to help cure cancer. I , like most every British Colombian has been personally affected by this disease.
I choose not to paraphrase our stand on the issue but ask you to view my platform at bcgreens.ca/swr
Thank you