COVID-19 antiviral medication no longer available for free in Nova Scotia
CBC
A costly drug used to treat people who are at risk of becoming severely ill or dying after contracting COVID-19 is no longer available free of charge in Nova Scotia.
Paxlovid has been free for eligible patients in Nova Scotia since early 2022, but that has changed now that Ottawa is no longer paying to supply provinces with the antiviral.
Nova Scotia's health minister, Michelle Thompson, said Wednesday the antiviral has been added to the list of drugs covered by the province's Pharmacare programs.
That means those not enrolled in those programs will have to rely on their private health plans to cover the cost or they'll pay out of pocket if they're uninsured.
"There are a number of ways in which people access medications throughout this province," said Thompson. "And if we see that there is a gap, we will we react to that."
The list price for a five-day course of Paxlovid is $1,288, according to a bulletin for pharmacists from the province.
Paxlovid, made by Pfizer, was approved for use in Canada in 2022. It is used to treat people who are most at risk of a mild to moderate infection becoming serious or life-threatening.
Last month, the expert committee for the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health, the body providing advice for the country's publicly funded health-care systems, offered fresh guidance for how drug plans should cover the treatment.
It suggested Paxlovid should only be reimbursed for patients who are severely or moderately immunosuppressed, or anyone with moderate immunodeficiencies.
Nova Scotians seeking Paxlovid have had to fill out a referral questionnaire, which lists factors used to determine who qualifies for the drug. They include:
Thompson said Wednesday only "a very small number of people are eligible for Paxlovid."
Those who will be able to get it through Pharmacare will have to be immunosuppressed either because of a medical condition, such as an organ transplant, or because they are being treated for cancer or other disease.
Nova Scotia Health has designated nine physicians who are able to prescribe the drug, and 38 pharmacists who are able to dispense it.
The Health Department said Nova Scotia received 21,600 standard dose treatment courses and 3,700 renal dose treatment courses of Paxlovid through the federally procured supply. It could not say how many doses remain from that supply, but the products are set to expire Friday.
Scientists say they know why pregnant women may reach for a THC gummy or joint.
Prime Minister Mark Carney says he's not worried about the prospect of increased oil production from Venezuela challenging Canada's energy exports because Canadian oil is cheaper, cleaner and lower-risk.
The District of Vanderhoof, says it is now feeling the full financial impacts of Canfor’s 2024 Plateau sawmill closure and is facing a substantial loss of tax revenue for 2026.
As part of a series of concerts scheduled around the city in the lead up to the Juno Awards, Rollie Pemberton is excited to “hype up Hamilton as a really great music city,” and debut some new tunes.
It was a rocky year for Windsor. But it was a good year for minivans built in Canada's car capital.
An international organization that often finds itself at the centre of human rights conflicts in developing countries has turned its attention to a small town in southwest Nova Scotia.
Tuesday is expected to be a slippery one as Environment Canada is warning freezing rain is expected over the course of several hours.
Bishop Joseph Dabrowski is moving on from the Diocese of Charlottetown in early February to continue his work in Ontario.
The catchphrase going into Tuesday's coalition of the willing meeting on Ukraine in Paris appears to be: expect the unexpected.
A regime change in Venezuela could both help that country regain its former prominence as an oil producer and pose a threat to Canada’s industry, which is producing record amounts of oil and is expected to continue to grow for several more years.
Health Canada says it is reviewing nine submissions for generic versions of popular weight loss medications that pharmaceutical experts say could bring down the price.
Premier Doug Ford says he will make changes to residential recycling collection if needed after the province's newly privatized system had a rough start in Toronto, with some full blue bins sitting uncollected as of Monday.
Drivers in Ontario caught operating a vehicle while impaired will face tougher penalties that no longer need the determination of a judge.