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“From my perspective, we know health care costs are increasing so we need to be very diligent about providing health care as efficiently as possible,” said Dr. Scott Klarenbach, chairman of the Alberta Expert Committee on Drug Evaluation and Therapeutics.

The committee provides recommendations to the health minister about what medications should be covered.

“Any circumstance where … there is a large difference in cost for drugs that are supposed to do the same thing, it kind of makes sense to look at whether you are getting additional value for the extra money you are paying.”

The committee, which provides recommendations to the health minister about what medications should be covered, has been pushing for such a change for some time, he said.

British Columbia and Ontario have adopted similar changes, as well as some private drug plans.

As of next February, coverage will be provided only for the generic versions of Pariet (rabeprazole) and Tecta (pantoprazole magnesium).

Those who choose to stay with a higher cost drug will be required to pay the cost difference. The government said some exemptions for coverage may be granted, such as in the case of patient who has a bad reaction to the lower cost medications.

Asked whether it might be a better approach to encourage doctors and pharmacists to prescribe the lower cost versions rather than limiting coverage, Klarenbach said he believes the process would be slow.

“Speaking for myself, unless there is some pressure or motivation for them to change, it can be very difficult.”

The government said patients on a government sponsored plan now taking the highest cost PPI drug could save up to $82 a year in co-payments by switching to a lower cost version.

kgerein@postmedia.com

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