PHA Canada Advocacy Package: Introduction
PHA CANADA TAKES ACTION IN SASKATCHEWAN
All Health Canada-approved PAH medications should be accessible
to PAH patients at diagnosis and beyond.
This letter is to request your help in advocating to the Saskatchewan government.
The recently released Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH)
Therapeutic Review Recommendation Report for Drugs for PAH seeks to severely restrict
physicians’ ability at diagnosis to exercise the individual clinical judgement essential to the
proper treatment of PAH. Additionally, we feel that the Common Drug Review’s recent
recommendation regarding Opsumit (macitentan) has become the first example of how the
CADTH recommendation for a stepped approach to initial therapy can be applied to restrict
access to treatment for adult PAH patients. It is important that the provinces not implement
this recommendation and that all Health Canada-approved PAH medications should be
accessible to PAH patients at diagnosis and beyond.
We need your help. PHA Canada has assembled materials to assist you in the
following:
1. Write your local Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) to request a meeting
(contact information can be found at http://www.legassembly.sk.ca/mlas/)
2. Prepare for and meet with your MLA (see meeting outline & fact sheet)
3. Report back the results of your MLA meeting (see report back form)
4. Write a draft letter for your MLA to send to the Minister of Health (see MLA letter to
Minister of Health)
5. Write to the Minister of Health yourself (e-mail: [email protected])
PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO BECOME INVOLVED ON BEHALF OF
THE PEOPLE AFFECTED BY PAH IN SASKATCHEWAN!
Together we can and will make a difference. We need your help!
To obtain materials and for more information, please visit us at www.phacanada.ca or
contact: Susan Lowe at 1-877-774-2226 ext. 8219 // [email protected]