'We’re expanding the [biosimilars] initiative to make sure that our drug programs in Alberta are going to be sustainable,' Alberta Health Minister Tyler Shandro, seen here, said in an exclusive interview.Alberta will force 26,000 patients on government-sponsored drug plans to switch from expensive drugs that are known as biologics to cheaper near-copies of the medications, a move that will save the province hundreds of millions of dollars in the coming years.
The government is working to rein in Alberta’s health-care spending more broadly, an effort that has already drawn the ire of health-care workers’ unions and the Alberta Medical Association. Health Canada and drug regulators around the world say biosimilars are as safe and effective as the original drugs they mimic.
The list price for Remicade in Alberta is $962.68 a vial, while the biosimilar versions, Inflectra and Renflexis, sell for $525 and $493 a vial, respectively. But the bulk of the international evidence – mainly from Europe, where more than 40 approved biosimilars are available – has shown no significant differences in safety or efficacy after switching.
The changes, which kick in July 1, 2020, do not apply to patients with private insurance or patients who pay out of pocket for their prescription drugs.
Short-sighted on the part of Alberta. Patients need choice in treatment and forcing them to change treatments based on cost puts money before patients' choices and needs.
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