$47 million for the coverage of two drugs and increased wages for home support workers

ACOA and Rural Economic Development Minister Gudie Hutchings says this includes $22 million for drugs for rare diseases, namely Poteligeo, for the treatment of mycosis fungoides or Sézary syndrome, and Oxlumo, for the treatment of hyperoxaluria type 1, and will be made available to residents of Newfoundland and Labrador.

The provincial and  federal governments have signed bilateral agreements that will lead to increased wages for home support workers, and improved access to drugs for rare diseases. In St. John’s on Friday, Health Minister John Hogan and federal Health Minister Mark Holland and ACOA and Rural Economic Development Minister Gudie Hutchings announced over $47 million will be spent. Hutchings says the first bilateral agreement includes $22 million for drugs for rare diseases, namely Poteligeo, for the treatment of mycosis fungoides or Sézary syndrome, and Oxlumo, for the treatment of hyperoxaluria type 1, will be made available to residents of Newfoundland and Labrador. The names of other drugs on the common list will be published online on a drug-by-drug basis.

Hutchings says more than $25 million in new funding over the next five years will contribute to wage increases for home support workers. There are more than 6,000 home support workers in Newfoundland and Labrador, which  is the first province or territory to announce increases to wages for these workers through the amendments. The list of covered  drugs will be available online following the conclusion of the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance price negotiations for each drug.