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HomeNews100 Mile HouseBC To Start Covering Abortion Drug Mifegymiso January 15

BC To Start Covering Abortion Drug Mifegymiso January 15

A family nurse practitioner says it is her hope that the BC Government’s universal, no-cost coverage for the abortion drug Mifegymiso will improve reproductive health for young women.

“People who are going to be able to prescribe that medication and I know they’ve said pharmacists, nurse practitioners, and family physicians, but there’s a lot of steps that still have to be put in place before those things are going to be able to happen,” says Sandra Lachapelle with the TRU Health Centre in Williams Lake.

“There’s ultrasounds that need to happen, there’s lab work that needs to be available. In some of the remote communities that still might not be a feasible option, but for mid-sized places, for example, Williams Lake I definitely think it will improve access.”

The no-cost coverage for Mifegymiso, an alternative to surgical abortion that can be used to terminate pregnancies up to nine weeks will commence on January 15, 2018.

“There’s certain scenarios where they do end up having to travel outside of our community and that’s really inconvenient. That puts up huge barriers for people,” adds Lachapelle.

The Ministry of Health said on Tuesday that stock of the drug will be available at pharmacies that are rural, remote or have previously dispensed high volumes of the medication.

Although PharmaCare has been covering Mifegymiso since July 11, 2017, the out-of-pocket cost for Mifegymiso for individuals without PharmaCare coverage is approximately $300.

“It’s an emotional topic and I think people have really strong feelings about it,” says Lachapelle noting that there is a lot stigma on the topic.

“As a healthcare provider what I try to do is provide that non-judgemental service. I try to help people access the services they need in a non-judgmental manner, that’s part of my role as a health care provider.”

British Columbia joins Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia in offering universal free access to Mifegymiso.

Patients are able to access Mifegymiso with a valid prescription after having had an ultrasound to confirm that they do not have an ectopic pregnancy which occurs outside of the uterus.

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