To the Editor:
We read with great interest the article by LeBlanc, et al, “Access to Biologic Therapies in Canada for Children with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis”1. We congratulate the authors for highlighting the challenges for Canada’s healthcare system in delivering equitable drug access across the country when healthcare is provincially delivered and there is still no national pharmaceutical program. This is particularly important in areas such as juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), where because of the rarity of the underlying condition, the development of different funding decisions across provinces and territories leads to inefficient drug policy. Provincial governments should be encouraged to review the advice of national organizations such as the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH) and the pan-Canadian Oncology Drug Review (pCODR). These organizations provide evidence-based information about health technologies, including drugs, with the goal of harmonizing drug funding across the country.
We would like to clarify a few misconceptions in the LeBlanc article. First, the authors stated …
Address correspondence to Dr. E. Cohen, Department of Pediatrics and Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, The Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1X8, Canada; E-mail: eyal.cohen{at}sickkids.ca