The government no longer uses the Therapeutics Initiative's independent advice on pharmaceutical drugs, though it will continue to fund it, health minister Kevin Falcon said today.
“I'm advised by staff that we're no longer utilizing the Therapeutics Initiative,” Falcon said in health ministry budget estimates debate today. The University of British Columbia group of academics provided evidence-based information about drugs to the health ministry and doctors.
New Democratic Party health critic Adrian Dix said he couldn't believe the government would stop using the TI which saves both money and lives. “This is an organization with an international reputation that has been consistently right in its key advice, both to policy-makers and to citizens,” he said.
The ministry will continue to get independent advice from UBC academics, Falcon said. “We still fund the faculty of medicine to support our drug review process, and they do so through their faculty,” he said. “We're in the process of finalizing a new contract with UBC that would reflect the change, in that we would no longer be directly . . . using the therapeutics initiative exclusively to provide the decisions around the listing of drugs.”
Dix said the TI has been a target for the pharmaceutical industry for a long time. “I think it's very sad that an institution that has done an extraordinary job for British Columbia . . . would be treated that way. It's extremely disappointing.”
Last year the government's pharmaceutical task force, a panel stacked with people connected to the drug industry, recommended scrapping the TI.
UBC's faculty of medicine is moving ahead with recommendations made during an academic review of the TI last year, dean of medicine Gavin Stuart said. The faculty is negotiating with the ministry how it will be involved in providing advice in the future, he said, adding that its role has always been to provide advice, not to set the ministry's policies.
Andrew MacLeod is The Tyee’s Legislative Bureau Chief in Victoria. Reach him here.
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Skywalker
2 years ago
What next?
I hope the T I still publishes its findings. I would rather not trust Kevin Falcon on anything. Not even the time of day.
Van Isle
2 years ago
This is just more evidence
This is just more evidence on how our Government seems to be in the pocket of corporations. Has Mr. Falcon given a reason for not following T I's advice? So much for pragmatism heh?
OhCanada
2 years ago
How much did they pay you Mr. Falcon?
It is well known that the pharmaceutical industry and the government is in bed together. Otherwise why would they scrap something that is an independent evidence-based advising?
I wonder how much did they pay Mr. Falcon for this. If you think this is not about money then think again.
On the other hand... get your health in your own hand and don't trust the government or the medical industry. They don't care about you. They only care about "what's in it for me, me and me"
It is business. Health care is no longer about health care anymore. It is rather sick care...how long can we keep you sick because as long as you are sick you are making money for us.
Don't believe me ...check out 'Natural cures.com - or read the book by Kevin Trudeau 'Natural cures, or what they don't want you to know.'
oldyeller
2 years ago
TI's independent drug advice
The bilious experience of following the American health care debacle made me feel that we are comparative grown-ups with a serious concern for the health of our population. Some of Our researchers may respond to questionable sponsorship and our doctors may be snowed with marketing, but surely our election laws guard against big pharma pocketing our Canadian politicians?
Clearly, I am not current with the shenanigans that has led to the end of consulting TI for independent drug research, and I have some difficulty in following the money on this. Yes, the present government is carrying out a continual replacement of stakeholder groups with cronies and I can see why pharma fears objective drug purchasing based on solid research and competitive pricing. But why does the government support the industry in this case? Knee-jerk? Or am I missing the money flow?