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Help to Give Quebec Cancer Patients the Gift of Blood Alternatives
People with anemia due to cancer or cancer treatment may experience extreme fatigue, difficulties in breathing and thinking, and inability to do normal activities. If anemia becomes severe, cancer treatment may be reduced, delayed, or even discontinued. Treating anemia improves quality of life and helps assure patients can stay on treatment.
Erythropoietin is a medication approved in Canada for the treatment of anemia in patients with cancer. Unfortunately, it is not equally available to all cancer patients across Canada. In some provinces, the only anemia treatment is blood transfusion. In others, patients get erythropoietin only if they cannot receive blood. Until recently in Quebec, patients were eligible for erythropoietin only after they have received a blood transfusion. This has changed following the Anemia Institute campaign in 2004. There is no longer a requirement to have received a transfusion.
For patients with private insurance, about 97% have coverage for erythropoietin. For all others, access to erythropoietin depends on the province in which they live.
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Drug Plan
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Is Erythropoietin available through the Drug Plan (for appropriate cancer patients)?
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Federal
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Yes, but need “prior approval”
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Manitoba
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Yes, for most cancer patients on chemotherapy
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Ontario
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Yes, expedited approval on individual case basis
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Newfoundland & Labrador
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Yes, on individual case basis
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Quebec
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Yes, meeting certain criteria
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Nova Scotia
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Some, but only if “transfusion dependent”
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New Brunswick, PEI
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Some, by special authorization
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Alberta
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Limited, only if patients cannot receive transfusions
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British Columbia and Saskatchewan
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No access to Erythropoietin
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The Anemia Institute campaign in fall 2004 culminated with the Quebec government removing the one-transfusion requirement for erythropoietin access.
Thanks to everyone who contributed to this campaign!
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