Presentation to the Reference Drug Program Consultation Panel

Text of the presentation made by Glen Hillson on behalf of the BC Persons with AIDS Society to the BC Reference Drug Program Consultation Panel on January 28, 2002. The members of the Society rely on a strong, rations, publicly funded system of drug distribution that ensures equality of access. For such a system to effectively meet the needs of all residents of BC its design must be evidence-based, it must be cost effective and must compliment other facets of the overall health care system to ensure delivery of comprehensive, quality care. Bulk purchasing by Pharmacare and RDP have proven to be the most effective tools currently at our disposal for containing drug costs without adversely impacting health outcomes. The RDP works because the program is evidence-based. Since its inception, intensive independent evaluation has demonstrated that the RDP reduces the overall cost of health care.