Province plans drug plan for uninsured people

Health Minister Madeleine Dubé is starting consultations on the development of a prescription drug plan for uninsured New Brunswickers.

The province's health minister said roughly 30 per cent of New Brunswickers must pay for their prescription drugs because they do not have prescription drug coverage.

"The provincial government has committed itself to implement a made-in-New Brunswick plan that would fairly subsidize costs based on an individual’s ability to pay," Dubé said.

The provincial government is seeking input on the design of the plan, how it should be paid for and who should qualify.

The province's working poor is one of the target groups of the project.

Amber McMahon is one of those people who struggles to pay for medication.

As a single mother working for minimum wage, she has struggled to pay for her son's epilepsy medication — which costs more than $200 a month — and cover all of the other bills.

"It's hard to make sure there's enough food in the house," she said.

As a result, she was forced to seek help.

"It was a hard decision to have to move back home with my mother and to let her know that I needed help," she said.

"I couldn't afford the things that my son needed just so that he could survive."

Paul Blanchard, a spokesperson for the New Brunswick Pharmacists Association, said the creation of a prescription drug plan for uninsured people would bring the province in line with the rest of the country.

"We recognize there are significant numbers of New Brunswickers who are uninsured, especially with respect to prescription drug and other benefits," he said.

"That is far different than other provinces."