Prince Edward Island 2019 Election Campaign

The Canadian Cancer Survivor Network is once again asking questions of the parties and candidates during the 2019 Prince Edward Island election campaign.
Their responses will be posted in this section as we receive them.

We hope that this information will help you when you direct your concerns to your provincial representatives.

To become involved in CCSN’s political advocacy campaigns, please contact jmanthorne@survivornet.ca

Questions

Over 200,000 Canadians are diagnosed with cancer every year, including 910 new cases in Prince Edward Island. Approximately 410 people Islanders will die of cancer each year. Clearly, this life-threatening illness affects entire communities, especially families, friends and co-workers.

The Canadian Cancer Survivor Network (CCSN) is a national network of patients, families, survivors, friends, families, community partners and sponsors. Its mission is to work together by taking action to promote the very best standard of care, support, follow up and quality of life for patients and survivors. It aims to educate the public and policy makers about cancer survivorship and encourage research on ways to alleviate barriers to optimal cancer care in Canada.

The government of Prince Edward Island (PEI) has an important role to play in making sure that everyone diagnosed with cancer has timely access to cancer care and essential medical services as well as access to emergency rooms and the treatment and medications they need.

We invite you to respond to the following questions related to cancer care and healthcare in PEI. Your responses will be circulated to cancer patients and survivors in Ontario and included on our website, http://survivornet.ca/act/ccsn-election-campaigns/, and posted on our social media.

Question 1: National pharmacare

Canada’s universal healthcare system does not include access to prescription medicines. The result is a provincial/territorial patchwork of public and private insurance plans that are costly, ineffective and do not guarantee access to prescribed drugs. The federal government has set up an Advisory Council on the Implementation of National Pharmacare to look at how access to prescription drugs can be improved in our healthcare system. Patients throughout PEI are concerned that national pharmacare will lead to a list of covered drugs that only meets the lowest common denominator.

  • If elected, will your government support the implementation of a national pharmacare program that guarantees access to prescription medicines and a coverage plan that goes beyond a formulary that meets the lowest common denominator?
  • If not, please explain how your party will ensure that Islanders will have timely and affordable access to prescription drugs.

Question 2: Information on breast density

Over 40% of women over the age of 40 have dense breasts. Having dense breasts can make it more difficult for radiologists viewing mammograms to spot cancer because dense breast tissue shows up as white, which is the same color as a cancerous tumour. Dense breasts increase an individual’s risk of developing breast cancer, and as a result, are missed on a mammogram.

  • If elected to government, will you commit to notifying all women their breast density upon receipt of their mammogram reports?
  • If elected to government, will you commit to raising public awareness and education on breast density?

Question 3: Cancer and pesticide use

Many Islanders are concerned about the link between cancer and pesticide use in the agricultural industry.

  • If elected to government, what will your party do to address this issue?

Please see below for links to the platforms of political parties in Prince Edward Island, where available.

PEI Liberal Platform
New Democratic Party (NDP) PEI Platform
Green Party of PEI Platform

Question 1 response:

The Green Party is committed to the implementation of a national pharmacare program and it is one of our key intergovernmental priorities. While it is difficult to predict the outcome of future negotiations, the Green Party aspires to reach a framework that provides the best access possible within our means.

Question 2 response:

We would commit to requiring the relevant health care professionals to notify women of their breast density upon receipt of their mammogram report. We are open to working with health professionals and the community to determine the best ways to educate the public on breast density.

Question 3 response:

The PEI Chief Public Health Officer’s 2016 report says “pesticides used in PEI do not pose a significant public health risk when used according to Health Canada’s usage and safety precaution labeling. Specifically, eliminating the use of all pesticides in PEI would have little or no impact on Island disease rates, including cancer rates.” The Green Party is committed to ensuring that the agricultural industry respects best practices and regulations for pesticides use, and would look at improving buffer zones. Our platform also commits funding to support farmers seeking to transition to organic farming. We are open to restrictions on the use of cosmetic pesticides. The Green Party is committed to ensuring that the agricultural industry respects best practices and regulations for pesticides use, and would look at improving buffer zones. Our platform also commits funding to support farmers seeking to transition to organic farming. We are open to restrictions on the use of cosmetic pesticides.

Question 1 response:

The Liberal Team will follow the work of the Advisory Council with interest to see if improvements can be made on PEI with the implementation of a national pharmacare program.  A Liberal Government is supportive of a national pharmacare program. We are seeking assurances that the unique health needs of the people of our province be addressed in the design and implementation of any pan-Canadian pharmaceutical program. We further believe that any program must include a clearly-defined funding role for the federal government that is long-term, adequate, secure, flexible and takes into consideration present and future cost pressures.

Under the leadership of Wade MacLauchlan and the Liberal Government, a number of initiatives have already been introduced to reduce the cost of medications for Islanders, including a seniors’ drug program, a generic drug program, and a catastrophic drug program.

Ensuring Islanders have affordable access to the medication they need, when they need it, is important in achieving overall health and wellness. That is why a Liberal plan proposes to continue investing in improving access and reducing costs, including by expanding the number of drugs covered by the successful Generic Drug Program, which currently serves 21,000 Islanders.

Further, the Liberal team proposes to increase affordable access to medications by eliminating the burden of dispensing fees and cutting the cost of access to generic medications in half for low-income seniors. A Liberal Government under the Leadership of Wade MacLauchlan proposes to improve access to new, innovative medications on the provincial formulary consistent with the coverage available in Atlantic Canada. Through a cooperative partnership with employers, a Liberal Government will implement a province-wide health and benefits plan as a pilot initiative to provide uninsured working Islanders in seasonal industries with access to health and benefits support. Additionally, under a Liberal Government pharmacists’ scope of practice will be widened in a way that will allow these highly-trained health care professionals to provide more services to Islanders. There will also be increased support for Islanders living with diabetes, including for test strips and insulin pumps.

Question 2 response:

Yes, the Liberal Team has recently announced a commitment to notifying all patients of their breast density upon receipt of their mammogram reports. A Liberal Government is committed to raising public awareness and education on breast density and other means that Islanders can use to catch cancer at its earliest stages. We appreciate that knowledge is power and that putting this information in the hands of Island patients is a step in the right direction to improving outcomes.

Question 3 response:

Programs such as the Agriculture Stewardship Program and the Nutrient Management Program on PEI are already working and a Liberal Government is committed to continuing to support them. The Agriculture Stewardship Program is a suite of initiatives designed to increase environmental sustainability, climate change mitigation and adaptation by providing technical and financial support to encourage producers to voluntarily implement Beneficial Management Practices (BMPs).  The Beneficial Management Practices Sub-Program provides support for the implementation of BMPs on a cost-shared and/or per acre funding basis. BMPs and Nutrient Management Plans helps reduce environmental risks.

A Liberal Government will also revise and expand crop insurance programs so that potato growers and growers working in other sectors have the supports they require to mitigate risks of bad growing seasons. In this regard, a Liberal Government is committed to incenting, through a $1 million fund in crop insurance, farmers who implement a variety of practices to improve soil health.

Thank you for your questions.

Many organizations and Islanders have brought forward concerns in regards to the implementation of a national pharmacare program. Our government will listen to the concerns of stakeholders and work to ensure that Islanders have access to a quality healthcare system and affordable access to prescription drugs.

We are committed to breast density notification for all Island women. Our government will also provide funding for ultrasounds for women who fall in the ‘D’, or most dense category to better their cancer screening. We look forward to working with stakeholder groups to raise public awareness and education on breast density.

We have heard concerns from Islanders about a connection between cancer and pesticide usage in the agricultural industry. We will work with Islanders, stakeholders, and professionals in researching and addressing any potential concerns.

Regards,

Charles Blue, President, PEI PC Party

Thanks for the email.

All these questions, and more are very important to all Canadians. My wife and I have over 50yrs experience in the healthcare field and feel that these questions require discussion and evidence based information to address this important issue. Please accept my commitment to further discuss this issue and look for ways to move this important issue.

Regards,
Paul