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Liberals Caving?

Hewitt and Associates, a corporation which advises employers on insured benefits, estimates that Ontario’s proposed changes regarding generic drugs will mean Ontario employers will see prescription drug plan costs drop by approximately 8% immediately, and by 16% within two years, with additional savings available depending on benefit plan design.

Unfortunately, there are reports that the Liberals may cave-in and provide more (of our) cash to the pharmacy corporations. 

In the last round of drug reform (with Bill 102 in 2006), the then Health Minister, Geroge Smitherman, did just that -- he caved in to demands from the brand name drug companies.  Not surprisingly, the brand name pharamceutical corporations will also be untouched by these latest reforms -- despite the fact that 75% of government drug money goes for their products and they are making a very handsome 25% profit rate.

The result of the last cave in?  Drug spending by the Ontario government went up 21.8% in just 3 years.  We can't afford it.
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