Area MP seeks improved access to medications yet approved by Health Canada

Thunder Bay-Rainy River MP Marcus Powlowski is looking for changes to a program that grants special access to physicians, medications that have not been fully approved by Health Canada.

The program allows doctors access to the drugs only when conventional therapies have failed, are unsuitable or are unavailable.

Powlowski, an emergency physician, wants to reduce the time it takes to receive approval.

He cites an incident involving a doctor at Sick Kids Hospital as a reason for the change.

“A pediatric ICU doctor recently told me about spending six hours trying to resuscitate a child, the first four hours of which were spent trying to access a drug which is available only through this program, even though that drug is considered first-line therapy in the United States,” Powlowski told the House of Commons.

Powlowski says approval of his Private Member’s Bill would reduce the red tape that is associated with the program.

“And also leave the decision in life-threatening situations as to whether to use a drug not yet approved by Health Canada to the clinicians, not to bureaucrats in Ottawa.”

Powlowski introduced the bill last week, with a second reading expected when MPPs return from their March break.