Ontario has announced plans to provide patients with early access to select new cancer medications as part of a pilot project that will make the drugs available even if public health hasn’t completed price negotiations with the pharmaceutical companies.
Deputy premier and Health Minister Sylvia Jones said the Funding Accelerated for Specific Treatments (FAST) program will make Ontario the first jurisdiction in Canada to fast-track access to breakthrough cancer drugs.
“Patients will be connected to life-saving and life-extending treatments up to a year sooner, reducing delays and improving access to cutting-edge cancer care,” Jones said during an Oct. 7 press conference at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in Toronto. …