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Not a full blog this time.  But for those of you who don’t follow me on twitter (@drmsgandhi), I just wanted to bring your attention to two blogs.  Both deal with the deteriorating situation in Thunder Bay where a union (in this case Unifor) has, as a result of their actions, denied health care to over a 1000 patients.  Many of these patients were elderly, and many had waited months for a specialist appointment.

The first blog is by the President of the Ontario Medical Association, Dr. Nadia Alam, and can be read here.

The second is by the Past President of the Ontario Medical Association, Dr. Shawn Whatley, and it can be found here.

I encourage you to read both of them.

View at Medium.com

I’ve had the pleasure of being a doctor for 28 years now.  I’ve long since appreciated that in order to provide the best care to patients, members of a health care team (doctors, nurses, pharmacists, allied health care providers and yes, even clerical support staff) must trust each other, and must work collegially and co-operatively.  Without that collegiality, the team fractures and the patients suffer.

This is why many physician leaders over the past few years have  advocated for more funding for Nurses, PSWs and other front line health care workers.  I’ve seen first hand how nurses and PSWs go above and beyond for patients.  My patients need positive, happy, engaged allied health care providers to serve their needs.

Unfortunately the recent actions of OPSEU president Warren “Smokey” Thomas and Unifor President Jerry Dias (both old school union types) show a total disregard for health care teams and patients.  They have reacted to some sort of labour dispute amongst the staff of the Owen Sound Family Health Organization (or FHO) and the owners  (essentially about twenty family doctors), by using old school divisive union tactics that may have a place in private business – but will hurt the patients of Ontario.

First, a full disclosure.  While I happen to be President Elect of the Ontario Medical Association (OMA), I actually don’t know any of the doctors in the FHO in Owen Sound.  I’m also not familiar with the situation there, other than what I read in the media and press releases.

But I do know that doctors have been warning that cutting patient services, like the Liberal Government did unilaterally, would cut staff and even close clinics.  Cutting physician funding is a cut to physician clinics, patients services and the staff who work there.

This is why it is so irresponsible Smokey and Dias to publicly shame physicians who own the clinics on social media.  I will not include a copy of OPSEU’s Facebook ad, but it basically implores people to “Tell the doctors….to get back to the table with a decent offer.  They can afford it.”  Then a list of all the doctors in the FHO is provided.  Smokey and Dias are now calling on patients to make an appointment with their doctors, to advance a political agenda.  At a time of wait lists and family doctor shortages, that is an appointment that could have, and should have, gone to a sick patient

Targeting employers is an old union tactic.  There are always ads from Unions advocating for membership on radio, TV and the internet.  But doctors are not big for-profit business. They’re not big box stores. They’re not giant corporations. They do this work because medicine is a calling. That’s why so many are offended by these ads.

Smokey and Dias also think suggesting doctors don’t know what they’re doing is a good idea.  They’ve spearheaded the “Without us, your doctor is just guessing” campaign which suggests that physicians can’t diagnose a disease based on, you know, talking to and examining a patient.  Can you just imagine what would happen if the Ontario Medical Association were to launch a campaign that said “Without Doctor’s Orders, Nurses Would Have No Direction?”.  (NB – The OMA won’t do that, we have too much respect for the nurses).

Suggesting that physicians work in “for profit clinics” that are analogous to private care (when everything is publicly funded) is another ridiculous statement.  Again, this is basically an old union tactic.  Go after “the rich” and “greedy capitalists.”  Use the politics of division to frame your members as the “have-nots”, the “poor” and the “oppressed” to garner public sympathy.  Embarrass the corporations into giving you what you want.  It may work in the real private sector, but these kinds of derogatory comments are only going to harm health care, and their own members.

Firstly, all health care workers, including physicians, are paid by the government of Ontario via your tax dollars. Obviously some workers (even some physicians) are salaried, some get a portion of physicians billings and some are on a bit of a hybrid model, but the money all comes from the same spot.

Secondly, Not sure how what Smokey’s long term strategy is, but is seems to me that attacking allies that have advocated for more funding for front line health care workers (OPSEU MEMBERS!) isn’t a great idea. Maybe Smokey is taking a page out of the Donald Trump school of leadership.

Thirdly, I don’t think Smokey and Dias have considered the damage that will be done to patient care.  Care teams for patients (particularly in family physicians offices) are smaller, more intimate and absolutely must work well together for patients to receive optimum care.  By using such divisive tactics in a small office they are sowing dissent and mistrust.  It’s really hard to see how trust will be rebuilt in the future.

Health care in Ontario has been in a crisis for many years know.  For the sake of the patients, physicians and allied health care workers need to work cordially and co-operatively to promote optimum health care planning for Ontario.  Smokey and Dias have started a bit of dumpster fire with their actions.  It’s a pity they don’t realize that.

 

 

 

“Hell hath no fury like a bureaucrat scorned.” – Milton Friedman

First, let’s get something out of the way.  I support the concept of Universal Pharmacare. From a basic human standpoint, I’ve seen many patients who cannot afford prescription medications go without them. It’s awful to see their health deteriorate when treatment could have been available.  Providing a social safety net is part of the Canadian ethos.  It’s almost un-Canadian to not have Pharmacare when places like Australia and pretty well all of Western Europe have it.

From a purely fiscal point of view, Pharmacare makes even more sense.  People who develop complications from untreated illnesses cost the health care system much more. Additionally, there are significant cost savings because a Canadian Pharmacare program will allow for bulk purchasing of drugs, which lowers costs.  It will also reduce the cost of running a business in Canada, thus helping the economy.

Currently Health Care is considered to be a Provincial responsibility,  and every Province has its own Drug Benefit Program for seniors and those on social assistance. Which of course means that each Province has their own formulary (the list of drugs that are covered by the provincial drug plan) and there are some differences. Ontario, for example, doesn’t provide coverage for some of the newer Cancer drugs that many Western Provinces do. Having a Canada wide formulary will mean we can fix these regional discrepancies and provide equitable treatment for all Canadians.

But if it Pharmacare is such a great idea, why is it doomed to failure?

For the same reasons that so many good ideas die in Canada – politicians and bureaucracy.  You see, politicians can’t see beyond their next election cycle, and their need for votes.  Bureaucrats can’t see beyond the need to perpetuate their own organizations and protect their own jobs.  It’s a toxic combination that has vexed health care in Canada for decades.

To understand this, let’s look at what should happen to make Pharmacare a success.  The federal government should come up with a Canada wide formulary.  This part shouldn’t be too hard; there are likely many commonalities between the varying Provincial formularies, and coming up with a list of necessary drugs should be easy.

Then the Canadian government should form a central agency, to negotiate a price and pay pharmaceutical companies for these medications.  In essence, Ottawa should take over the role of the Provincial drug formularies and establish one Canada-wide plan.

In order to pay for this, the Canadian government should reduce transfer payments to the Provinces by the amount of money they spend on their own programs.  Ontario currently spends $4.2 billion dollars a year on its Drug Benefit program.  So clearly, what the Canadian government should do is say to Ontario – “Look, we’ll take over the drug benefit program, you close down yours, and we will cut your provincial transfer payments by $4.2 Billion per year, since you don’t need it anymore.” And there’s problem number one. How do you think that will go over with the cash strapped government in Ontario?

From a politician’s point of view, they are going to risk angering the bureaucracy because this means there will be less jobs – economies of scale mean you need fewer people to run one big organization, then ten smaller ones.  This means the various civil service unions will be up in arms about closing the Provincial Drug Benefit programs. Granted upsetting bureaucrats probably won’t bother Ontario Premier Doug Ford as he has already signalled that he is going to reduce bureaucracy, but Prime Minister Trudeau (especially given his recent falling popularity) is likely going to want all the votes he can get.  Civil servants still donate to political parties – and he will not want to anger them.

Now if you have a strong-willed leader of your Pharmacare strategy, you can probably still make this change.  But alas, Trudeau hired the widely disliked and ineffectual Eric Hoskins to lead this program.  Hoskins’ main claim to fame is his utter and complete failure as a Health Minister in Ontario.  As predicted, he didn’t survive the disaster he made of Health Care.  It’s clear he jumped at the chance to get a cushy taxpayer paid job, as he knew he was going to lose his own riding of Toronto St. Paul (which was supposed to be one of the safest Liberal ridings in the Province).  His hiring does NOTHING to engender confidence that an effective Pharmacare program is possible.

What will we likely be left with?  Probably some sort of hybrid system.  This will be promoted to be in “the interests of recognizing regional diversity”.  Ottawa will create an agency to provide “oversight” and purchasing of a certain list of medications.  Then the Provinces will keep their own agencies, and buy the drugs via Ottawa. If you happen to need a drug that isn’t on the approved list, you can apply for an exemption to the Province (this part exists now).  But then the Provinces will likely turn you down and then you have to apply to Ottawa.  Goodness knows how much paperwork will be involved, and how many delays.

The end result?  TWO layers of bureaucracy for National Pharmacare, more civil service jobs, more money (and time) wasted on Provincial/Federal interplay.  How will this help?

Pharmacare is long overdue.  I just wish our politicians had the guts and foresight to implement it in a reasonable, efficient, businesslike manner.