Ontario cancer patients younger than 65 years must navigate a maze of financial and administrative challenges to access innovative and effective take-home cancer treatments that are easily and affordably available to patients in other provinces and territories. This is because the treatment they need comes in pill form taken at home rather than in the hospital.

How is this fair?

Imagine living in Ontario and while fighting for your life you encounter this stressful process just to get cancer treatments your doctor has prescribed:

• Step 1: Exhaust all private pay options – including maxing out your private drug insurance if you have it.
• Step 2: Apply to the Ontario Trillium Drug Program – encountering risky delays that take an average of one month for approval.
• Step 3: Pay the government an average $4,000/year deductible while working on a reduced income during cancer treatment.

To put it simply: Canadians living in our Western Provinces, Northern Territories and Quebec have better, faster and more affordable access to advances in cancer treatments than patients in Ontario. Regardless of age, socioeconomic status, or cancer type – when patients in these regions receive their diagnosis, they will be prescribed the approved treatment they need and get it when they need it.

Ontario’s cancer funding is a decade behind the majority of Canada. This is unacceptable.

For approximately $30 million/year, Ontario can close the gap and provide significant financial and emotional relief to patients and their families. That is just 1/10th of 1% of the estimated $63 billion that Ontario spent on healthcare in 2020.

During the pandemic, we’ve been told to stay at home as much as possible to prevent infection spread. For cancer patients who are immunocompromised and at higher risk of complications, taking their treatment at home is the safe choice.

Ontario’s General Election is on June 2nd, 2022.

It’s time for all political parties to commit to equal access to take-home cancer drugs in their platforms.

Sign your name to be an ally to cancer patients and demand equal access to take-home cancer drugs in Ontario.