There is an upcoming Drug Benefit List (DBL) update for the NIHB program by Health Canada, and pharmacy is one of the benefit areas under buy-back.
Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are medications that reduce the amount of acid made by the stomach. They are commonly used to treat acid reflux (heartburn) and ulcers. Some examples include: Losec, Pantoloc and Prevacid.
The Canadian Optimal Medication Prescribing and Utilization Service (COMPUS) conducted research that found that all PPIs work equally well. COMPUS is a service of The Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH). Funded by Canada's federal, provincial, and territorial governments, CADTH is an independent, not-for-profit agency that reports evidence-based information to public health care about the effectiveness and efficiency of medications and drug therapies.
The COMPUS Expert Review Panel who reviewed the information on PPIs consisted of twelve members: four gastroenterologists, one clinical pharmacologist, two family physicians, one geriatrician, two pharmacists, one methodologist, and one health economist.
Effective July 21, 2014, the PPIs being delisted from the DBL are:
• 10MG Omeprazole Delayed Release Tablets
02230737 Losec
02260859 Ratio Omeprazole
02295407 Teva Omeprazole
• 10MG Omeprazole Delayed Release Capsules
02119579 Losec
02329425 Mylan Omeprazole
02296438 Sandoz Omeprazole
• 40MG Pantoprazole Magnesium Enteric Coated Tablets
02267233 Tecta
Many other PPIs are still included on the DBL. Please speak to your pharmacist if you would like to know which PPIs are covered.
Tecta is a name brand PPI and similar to Pantoloc (pantoprazole sodium) and its generic forms, which are on the DBL.
The low dose omeprazole 10mg tablets and capsules are not covered by BC PharmaCare; therefore this change is in alignment with the public health coverage in BC.
