Innovative Medicines Canada welcomes Ontario Budget

Further to the government of Ontario's tabling of its Budget yesterday, trade group Innovative Medicines Canada is encouraged that the budget is a step in the right direction to improving access to innovative medicines and vaccines for Ontarians.

Relating to health care, the Ontario government says it is continuing to transform Ontario's universal health care system to give Ontarians faster access to the right care, now and in the future.  Highlights include increasing funding to hospitals by C$345 million ($476 million); lowering wait times for key services; creating more integrated, team-based primary care; making more care available at home and in the community; proposing to make the shingles vaccine available free for eligible seniors aged 65 to 70 - saving them about C$170 in out-of-pocket expenses; and investing an additional C$75 million in community-based residential hospices and palliative care, for a total investment of about C$155 million over three years.

In response to the Ontario 2016 Budget, Innovative Medicines Canada valued participating in consultations leading up to the budget and is pleased to see that its recommendation to increase access to vaccines was included in the 2016 budget.