Restasis Now Available in Canada

[Guest]

Well, this should make it easier for us in Canada to obtain... Health Canada's website now shows it as an approved product.

I checked out the price, and it was $105 plus the pharmacy's dispensing fee... OUCH! I've been spoiled until now because I've been getting it through Health Canada and all I've had to pay for 3 boxes of 30 vials each was about $12.

Oh well.. such is life I guess!

[tearless2]

Is it less expensive to get it compounded? I think I remember someone saying it was a lot cheaper to get the generic compounded in some substance. I want to say corn oil?

[Guest]

I haven't compared... if I ever look into it, I'll post the results!

[Aaron77]

Ran out of my supply from Health Canada a few days ago and had problems getting the prescription faxed to my pharmacy, they finally got it and told me they never heard of Restasis before - doctors office had to follow up with a note explaining the product so they've ordered it and it should be available for pick-up by tomorrow afternoon.

[Aaron77]

Think the fact that I've been of Restasis for some days now might be the cause of some extra eye pain, just called in sick for some training I had scheduled for tomorrow - hopefully when my Restasis comes in tomorrow I can get my eyes feeling a bit better. Restasis has not been a cure all for me, my eyes still are in pain 24/7 - maybe noticeably less when on the Restasis, maybe its just a mental thing, I don't know.

When getting Restasis through Health Canada I never had to pay a cent - most of the cost should be covered now though through my Blue Cross coverage.

[Roderick]

Restasis is really a dubious product to me. I've been on Refresh Endura before which is the same thing sans cyclosporine, and I don't trust the castor oil in it at all. Ultimately it seems to just often induce MORE inflammation. Many of those who try it find themselves worse off afterwards. No thanks.

[Aaron77]

My Restasis won't be coming in until next tuesday, original pharmacy could not figure out how to order it so I gave up on them and had to get everything faxed off to another pharmacy - they finally figured it out but with it being the long weekend the stuff won't be delivered until Tuesday. I've been out of this stuff for a week already and trying to get more of it for the past month - health care system here in Canada is kind of screwed up. I think my eyes are starting to feel the effects of going without the Restasis - hopefully I can make it through the next 3 days at work.

[Huss]

Well, this should make it easier for us in Canada to obtain... Health Canada's website now shows it as an approved product.

I checked out the price, and it was $105 plus the pharmacy's dispensing fee... OUCH! I've been spoiled until now because I've been getting it through Health Canada and all I've had to pay for 3 boxes of 30 vials each was about $12.

Oh well.. such is life I guess!

why wont health canada still give it to you for the same price? and how did you get that price if you dont mind me asking?

[Guest]

Prior to the drug being approved in Canada, the only way to get it was via Health Canada's Special Access Program.... basically, Health Canada imported the U.S. version of Restasis. I'm not sure exactly WHY it was so cheap though... I think the manufacturer might have been subsidizing the costs? or maybe our tax dollars were paying for it? Somebody was paying, that's for sure! I must admit I don't really know much about how the Special Access Program is funded... The $12 that I was paying was the pharmacy's dispensing fee.

Now that the drug IS approved in Canada, we have to pay for it just like any other approved-in-Canada prescription product... When a pharmacy purchases it from the wholesaler, the cost to the pharmacy is around $105 for one box... So now we have to pay the cost of the drug plus the pharmacy dispensing fee... at a $12 fee, I'd be paying $117 for that same box.

[donkey]

any idea if restasis gets covered under blue cross or other health plans?

i just started restasis, cost me nothing and now im worried it'll be like lacriserts where it's a typeII over the counter drug and you have to pay the full amount.

[Guest]

It depends on the type of insurance plan you have... even within Blue Cross, there are plans ranging from the most basic coverage to the "super ultra deluxe" plans that pay for almost anything.

My Blue Cross plan only pays for meds that are covered by our provincial pharmacare program... I contacted the manufacturer to find out how long before Restasis is expected to be covered by our provincial program (either covered for everyone, or even just via EDS) and they said they are expecting it to take as long as 18-24 months... Allergan has applied for coverage in all of the provinces (??), but now it's in the government's hands (and they move slowly) Maybe you guys will be lucky and Alberta will move faster on this than Manitoba!