Wednesday, July 25, 2007
A Bureaucratic Response on Facial Lipoatrophy!
The BCPWA Society has been advocating to get coverage for injectable compounds used to treat HIV associated facial lipoatrophy through the Medical Services Plan (MSP) so that PWAs don’t have to pay out of their own pockets. Compounds such as Bio Alcamid and Sculptra are used to treat HIV associated facial lipoatrophy. Doctors treating people with HIV associated facial lipoatrophy state clearly that it is a treatment leading to longterm health improvement as opposed to a mere cosmetic procedure. Recently, the Ministry of Health Pharmaceutical Services responded and informed us that they were not familiar with the injectable compounds used as treatments for HIV associated facial lipoatrophy. They needed more information. We have been writing to the Ministry for well over a year on this issue, and now they need more information! It boggles the mind. Just more bureaucracy! What do you think? If interested in working with us on this important health issue, please contact zorans@bcpwa.org or make a comment on this blog.
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2 comments:
Yes it may take some time for the bureacratic's to respond to the side effects of HIV med's, it took me three long years of being persistant and not giving up before they finally paid for my buffalo hump (Lypodystrophy) to be removed via lyposuction. It took many DR's visits and letters. But keep on advocating for something you believe in and eventually the bureacrates will get tired and say yes...Good luck and keep on kicking
The governments formulary coverage refusal based on reasoning that facial filler 'compounds' used for ARV & HIV related FLA are elective (chosen)/cosmetic procedures & not necessary reconstructive restoration of a disease &/or life saving treatment caused deformity, is not only illogical and erronious it is an act of cruelty to our Brothers and Sisters who endure (often in isolation) such horrific disfigurements! For those in the workforce or socially active, FLA can and often does cause an HIV status confidentiality breach.
Is this just another instance of an uncarinmg government trying to save money?
Letter writing is one avenue to pursue, many others exist and We should consider exploring them all. If the government wants more info, it's easily available, if they want canadian research data, it's been done and is also available...If the government still wont budge, we create access ourselves through building collaborative multi disciplinary, multi sectoral, multi stakeholder collaborations, using community based research models. We have the ability, the funds are within reach, the experts are interested...
The Maple Leaf Medical Clinic's website www.mapleleafmedical.com is a template for success we could mold to our needs. Lets work together and do this!
There are solutions here, lets figure them out together!
The Canadian Treatment Action Council's Network of its BC members and I, as the Networks leader place this issue very high on our agenda. CTAC provincially and nationally support the efforts of the BCPWA Society and offers continued support and further collaboration. If you'd like to get info on the CTAC provincial network's structure, and or add your skills and talents to us by joining one of our issue specific working groups and help CTAC, BCPWA and all of BC's PHA,lets begin by getting in touch. My oficial CTAC email as CTAC's Provincial Rep is: scfman1@hotmail.com. I also accept phone calls at 778-737-8830.
Peace to everyone and success for us all!
Sam Friedman.
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