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Access list by province / territory

Kidney Cancer Canada makes every attempt to track access to medications for kidney cancer in every province. Medications are only used to treat advanced or metastatic kidney cancer at this time.

 

The access list by Province/Territory details kidney cancer medications that are funded according to the public drug plans in each province and territory. If you have private drug insurance, you may have additional options.

Some patients such as First Nations, Inuit, Canadian Forces members, RCMP, etc., may be eligible for federal programs and funding for their cancer drugs. The Non-Insured Health Benefits (NIHB) program provides supplementary health benefits, including prescription and non-prescription drugs, for registered First Nations and recognized Inuit throughout Canada, not provided through private or provincial/territorial health insurance plans. These benefits complement provincial and territorial health care programs.

Patients with private prescription drug insurance plans may have more access according to their specific prescription drug plan for their kidney cancer medications. Private prescription drug plans may cover some or all of the costs of your treatment. Please check with your individual insurance provider.

Seniors may also be eligible for extended benefits depending on the province or territory. Patients should also check with their physician regarding additional therapies that may be available to them through clinical trials across Canada.

 

Patient Assistance Programs for mRCC in Canada
British Columbia

NOTES:

  • Health Canada’s Special Access Program provides access to medications not currently marketed in Canada. The cost of the drug is at the discretion of the manufacturer. In some cases, patients may still require public or private drug coverage.

SECTION REFERENCES:

BC Cancer Provincial Health Services Authority. BC Cancer Drug Benefit List. Accessed: 09-Apr-2024.

BC Cancer Agency. Chemotherapy Protocols. Genitourinary. Accessed: 09-Apr-2024.

Alberta

NOTES:

  • Health Canada’s Special Access Program provides access to medications not currently marketed in Canada. The cost of the drug is at the discretion of the manufacturer. In some cases, patients may still require public or private drug coverage.

SECTION REFERENCES:

Alberta Health Services. Renal Cell Carcinoma. Clinical Practice Guideline GU-003. Version 11. April 2023. Accessed: 09-Apr-2024.

Alberta Health Services. Outpatient Cancer Drug Benefit Program.  Accessed: 09-Apr-2024.

Saskatchewan

NOTES:

  • Health Canada’s Special Access Program provides access to medications not currently marketed in Canada. The cost of the drug is at the discretion of the manufacturer. In some cases, patients may still require public or private drug coverage.

SECTION REFERENCES:

Saskatchewan Cancer Agency (SCA). Saskatchewan Cancer Agency Drug Formulary.  Accessed: 30-Apr-2024.

Manitoba

NOTES:

  • The Home Cancer Drug (HCD) Program is a program for Manitobans diagnosed with cancer that allows access to eligible outpatient oral cancer and specific supportive drugs at no cost to the patient.
  • Health Canada’s Special Access Program provides access to medications not currently marketed in Canada. The cost of the drug is at the discretion of the manufacturer. In some cases, patients may still require public or private drug coverage.

SECTION REFERENCES:

CancerCare Manitoba. Manitoba Home Cancer Drug Program. 

Ontario

NOTES:

  • Health Canada’s Special Access Program provides access to medications not currently marketed in Canada. The cost of the drug is at the discretion of the manufacturer. In some cases, patients may still require public or private drug coverage.
  • For cancer drugs requiring approval by the Exceptional Access Program, eligibility criteria is available on their website
  • For drugs funded by Cancer Care Ontario’s New Drug Funding Program, eligibility criteria is available on the Drug Formulary website. Search by drug.

SECTION REFERENCES:

Cancer Care Ontario. Drug Formulary. Drugs: Renal Cell/Kidney. Accessed: 30-Apr- 2024

Quebec

NOTES:

  • Health Canada’s Special Access Program provides access to medications not currently marketed in Canada. The cost of the drug is at the discretion of the manufacturer. In some cases, patients may still require public or private drug coverage.

SECTION REFERENCES:

Governement du Québec. Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec List of Medications. Last Updated February 1 2019. Accessed: 02/07/2019.

Governement du Québec. Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec. Prescription Drug Insurance. 2018. Accessed: 09/25/2018.

Phillips Karen. Background Paper. Catastrophic Drug Coverage in Canada. Library of Parliament. Ottawa, ON. 2016.

New Brunswick

NOTES:

  • For the most up to date and accurate information, please see the New Brunswick Drug Plan Formulary available online.
  • Drugs listed as needing special authorization benefits have specific criteria which must be met in order to be approved for coverage.
  • Health Canada’s Special Access Program provides access to medications not currently marketed in Canada. The cost of the drug is at the discretion of the manufacturer. In some cases, patients may still require public or private drug coverage.

SECTION REFERENCES:

Government of New Brunswick. New Brunswick Drug Plans Formulary. April 2024. Accessed: 01-May-2024

Nova Scotia

NOTES:

  • Nova Scotia Pharmacare Programs, which are Nova Scotia’s public drug plans, helps patients with the cost of prescribed drugs and devices which are indicated as benefits in the Nova Scotia Formulary, as well as with the cost for some services to which a level of coverage applies under a particular program. Some drugs are only covered under the Pharmacare Programs when a patient meets certain criteria called Exception Status Drugs.
  • The Take Home Cancer Drug Fund is a new fund available through the Nova Scotia Health Authority’s Cancer Care Program. The fund helps patients who are faced with very high costs for their take home cancer drugs.
  • Health Canada’s Special Access Program provides access to medications not currently marketed in Canada. The cost of the drug is at the discretion of the manufacturer. In some cases, patients may still require public or private drug coverage.

SECTION REFERENCES:

Province of Nova Scotia. Nova Scotia Pharmacare. Drug Assistance for Cancer Patients. 2018. Accessed 09/25/2018.

Nova Scotia Department of Health. Nova Scotia Formulary. January 2019. Accessed 02/07/2019.

Prince Edward Island

NOTES:

SECTION REFERENCES:

Government of Prince Edward Island. Health PEI. PEI Pharmacare Formulary.Updated August 2018. Accessed: 09/25/2018.

Government of Prince Edward Island. Health PEI. Formulary Drugs for Oncology. January 31, 2019. Accessed: 02/07/2019.

Government of Prince Edward Island. Health PEI. High Cost Drug Program. August 1, 2018. Accessed: 09/25/2018.

Newfoundland & Labrador

NOTES:

  • Coverage of special authorization drugs is assessed according to certain criteria after the required clinical information from a healthcare professional involved in the patient’s care is received.
  • For the most up to date and accurate information, please see the interactive Newfoundland and Labrador Prescription Drug Program (NLPDP) Database available online.
  • Health Canada’s Special Access Program provides access to medications not currently marketed in Canada. The cost of the drug is at the discretion of the manufacturer. In some cases, patients may still require public or private drug coverage.

SECTION REFERENCES:

Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. Newfoundland and Labrador Prescription Drug Program. Criteria for the Coverage of Special Authorization Drugs. Accessed 09/25/2018.

Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. Prescription Drug Program (NLPDP). Plan Overview. Last Updated July 4, 2018. Accessed 09/25/2018.

Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. NLPDP Are My Drugs Covered?. Last Updated July 4, 2018. Accessed 09/25/2018.

yukon

The Non-Insured Health Benefits (NIHB) program provides supplementary health benefits, including prescription and non-prescription drugs, for registered First Nations and recognized Inuit throughout Canada, not provided through private or provincial/territorial health insurance plans. These benefits complement provincial and territorial health care programs.

 

NOTES:

  • Exception drug status requires an application to the Formulary Working Group to assess.
  • Health Canada’s Special Access Program provides access to medications not currently marketed in Canada. The cost of the drug is at the discretion of the manufacturer. In some cases, patients may still require public or private drug coverage.

SECTION REFERENCES:

Yukon Health and Social Services. Yukon Drug Formulary. January 26, 2017. Accessed 09/15/2018.

Yukon Health and Social Services. Pharmacare. Accessed 09/15/2018.

Yukon Health and Social Services. Chronic Disease Program. Accessed 09/15/2018.

Northwest Territories

Through a partnership with Alberta Health Services and Northwest Territories (NWT) Health and Social Services, all NWT cancer care patients are referred to Cancer Care Centres in Alberta, such as the Cross Cancer Institute in Edmonton.

Assessments and treatment plans are provided by the referring Oncologist.

With the assistance of NWT community pharmacies and Stanton Territorial Hospital pharmacy in Yellowknife, available NWT third-party funding for patients is determined, and appropriate actions are taken to assist patients in navigating the approval process for receiving drugs used in the treatment of kidney cancer.

The Non-Insured Health Benefits (NIHB) program provides supplementary health benefits, including prescription and non-prescription drugs, for registered First Nations and recognized Inuit throughout Canada, not provided through private or provincial/territorial health insurance plans. These benefits complement provincial and territorial health care programs.

 

NOTES:

  • The Government of the Northwest Territories (NWT) sponsors the Extended Health Benefits program to provide non-Aboriginal and Métis residents of the Northwest Territories who have specified disease conditions (including cancer) with certain benefits not covered by hospital and medical care insurance.
  • The Government of the Northwest Territories (NWT) sponsors the Métis Health Benefits program to provide registered Indigenous Métis residents of the NWT access to a range of benefits not covered by hospital and medical care insurance. Alberta Blue Cross administers benefits for the Métis Health Benefits program on behalf of the Government of the NWT.
  • Health Canada’s Special Access Program may provide access to some medications not currently marketed in Canada. The cost of the drug is at the discretion of the manufacturer. In some cases, patients may still require public or private drug coverage.

SECTION REFERENCES:

Government of the Northwest Territories. Department of Health and Social Services. Supplementary Health Benefits. Extended Health Benefits for Specified Disease Conditions. Accessed 09/11/2018.

Government of Canada. Health Canada. Non-Insured Health Benefits – Drug Benefit List. Summer 2018. Accessed 02/07/2019.

Government of Canada. Health Canada. Pharmacy Benefit Information. Non-Insured Health Benefits. Questions and Answers. 2018-04-10. Accessed 09/11/2018.

Nunavut

The Nunavut Department of Health offers insurance programs to help Nunavummiut pay the costs of insured medical treatment, prescription drugs, medical supplies and medical travel.

Every Nunavut resident is covered under the Nunavut Health Care Plan that covers the cost of insured medical care in and out of the territory.

The Nunavut Health Care Plan also offers an additional insurance plan called Extended Health Benefits (EHB) which may help pay for prescriptions, medical travel costs or medical supplies and equipment needs. The EHB offers coverage to Nunavummiut who need additional health care services not covered by the Nunavut Health Care Plan, or by employer-provided health benefit plans. EHB covers Nunavummiut diagnosed with specified conditions, non-aboriginal seniors of 65 years of age or older and medical travel for individuals who have exhausted their third-party, employer-provided insurance plans or Health Canada’s Non-Insured Health Benefits (NIHB) for Inuit and First Nations.

Non Insured Health Benefits (NIHB) is a program offered to eligible Land Claim Beneficiaries that helps pay for some costs not covered by the Nunavut Health Care Plan.

Nunavut patients who require cancer care may need to travel to cities in other provinces such as to Ottawa, Yellowknife, Edmonton or Winnipeg as certain cancer treatments may not be readily available in Nunavut.

 

NOTES:

  • Health Canada’s Special Access Program may provide access to some medications not currently marketed in Canada. The cost of the drug is at the discretion of the manufacturer. In some cases, patients may still require public or private drug coverage.

SECTION REFERENCES:

Government of Nunavut. Department of Health. Health Services. Health Insurance. Accessed: 03/04/2019.

Government of Nunavut. Department of Health. Nunavut Health Care Plan. Accessed: 03/04/2019.

Government of Nunavut. Department of Health. Extended Health Benefits (EHB).Accessed: 03/04/2019.

Government of Nunavut. Department of Health. Non Insured Health Benefits. Accessed: 03/04/2019.

Government of Canada. Health Canada. Non-Insured Health Benefits – Drug Benefit List. Spring 2018. Accessed 09/11/2018.

Government of Canada. Health Canada. Pharmacy Benefit Information. Non-Insured Health Benefits. Questions and Answers. 2018-04-10. Accessed 09/11/2018.

Canadian Partnership Against Cancer. Inuit Cancer Control In Canada Baseline Report. Toronto: Canadian Partnership Against Cancer Control. (2014). Accessed 09/11/2018.

Non-Insured Health Benefits for First Nations and recognized Inuits in Canada

The Non-Insured Health Benefits (NIHB) program provides supplementary health benefits, including prescription and non-prescription drugs, for registered First Nations and recognized Inuit throughout Canada, not provided through private or provincial/territorial health insurance plans. These benefits complement provincial and territorial health care programs. NIHB has joined the pan-Canadian Oncology Drug Review (pCODR) and follows their recommendations.

 

NOTES:

  • Health Canada’s Special Access Program may provide access to some medications not currently marketed in Canada. The cost of the drug is at the discretion of the manufacturer. In some cases, patients may still require public or private drug coverage.

SECTION REFERENCES:

Government of Canada. Health Canada. Non-Insured Health Benefits – Drug Benefit List. Summer 2018. Accessed 02/07/2019.

Government of Canada. Health Canada. Pharmacy Benefit Information. Non-Insured Health Benefits. Questions and Answers. 2018-04-10. Accessed 09/11/2018.

Government of Nunavut. Department of Health. Extended Health Benefits (EHB). Accessed: 09/11/2018.

Canadian Partnership Against Cancer. Inuit Cancer Control In Canada Baseline Report. Toronto: Canadian Partnership Against Cancer Control. (2014). Accessed 09/11/2018.

Kidney Cancer Canada