Report Card on provincial formulary
reimbursement listings for biologic response modifiers

Arthritis Consumer Experts ranks publicly funded medication formularies based on whether or not they have listed five medically necessary arthritis medications for four of the most common types of inflammatory arthritis.

Formularies are awarded one point for each listing, and no points for declined listings, or for files remaining "under review".

People with arthritis, and the doctors who treat them, deserve to be able to choose the medication most appropriate for the specific treatment plan they are developing. If after reading the report card you are disappointed with your province's performance, please consider contacting your provincial government to make them aware of your concerns.

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Biologic Chart : March 2010
1st : Québec
Generic Name (Brand Name) abatacept (Orencia®) adalimumab (Humira®) etanercept (Enbrel®) infliximab (Remicade®) rituximab (Rituxan®)
rheumatoid arthritis Listed — CBC Listed — CBC Listed — CBC Listed — CBC Listed — CBC
ankylosing spondylitis Not Applicable Listed — CBC Listed — CBC Listed — CBC Not Applicable
juvenile idiopathic arthritis Listed — CBC Not Applicable Listed — CBC Listed — CBC Not Applicable
psoriatic arthritis In Clinical Trials Listed — CBC Listed — CBC Listed — CBC Not Applicable
2nd : Saskatchewan
Generic Name (Brand Name) abatacept (Orencia®) adalimumab (Humira®) etanercept (Enbrel®) infliximab (Remicade®) rituximab (Rituxan®)
rheumatoid arthritis Listed — CBC Listed — CBC Listed — CBC Listed — CBC Listed — CBC
ankylosing spondylitis Not Applicable Listed — CBC Listed — CBC Listed — CBC Not Applicable
juvenile idiopathic arthritis Listed — CBC Not Applicable Listed — CBC Not Applicable Not Applicable
psoriatic arthritis In Clinical Trials Listed — CBC Listed — CBC Listed — CBC Not Applicable
3rd : British Columbia
Generic Name (Brand Name) abatacept (Orencia®) adalimumab (Humira®) etanercept (Enbrel®) infliximab (Remicade®) rituximab (Rituxan®)
rheumatoid arthritis Listed — CBC Listed — CBC Listed — CBC Listed — CBC Listed — CBC
ankylosing spondylitis Not Applicable Listed — CBC Listed — CBC Listed — CBC Not Applicable
juvenile idiopathic arthritis Under Review Not Applicable Listed — CBC Not Applicable Not Applicable
psoriatic arthritis In Clinical Trials Listed — CBC Listed — CBC Listed — CBC Not Applicable
3rd : New Brunswick
Generic Name (Brand Name) abatacept (Orencia®) adalimumab (Humira®) etanercept (Enbrel®) infliximab (Remicade®) rituximab (Rituxan®)
rheumatoid arthritis Listed — CBC Listed — CBC Listed — CBC Listed — CBC Listed — CBC
ankylosing spondylitis Not Applicable Listed — CBC Listed — CBC Listed — CBC Not Applicable
juvenile idiopathic arthritis Listed — CBC Not Applicable Listed — CBC Not Applicable Not Applicable
psoriatic arthritis In Clinical Trials Listed — CBC Listed — CBC Declined Listing Not Applicable
3rd : Newfoundland and Labrador
Generic Name (Brand Name) abatacept (Orencia®) adalimumab (Humira®) etanercept (Enbrel®) infliximab (Remicade®) rituximab (Rituxan®)
rheumatoid arthritis Listed — CBC Listed — CBC Listed — CBC Listed — CBC Listed — CBC
ankylosing spondylitis Not Applicable Listed — CBC Listed — CBC Listed — CBC Not Applicable
juvenile idiopathic arthritis Listed — CBC Not Applicable Listed — CBC Not Applicable Not Applicable
psoriatic arthritis In Clinical Trials Listed — CBC Listed — CBC Declined Listing Not Applicable
6th : Alberta
Generic Name (Brand Name) abatacept (Orencia®) adalimumab (Humira®) etanercept (Enbrel®) infliximab (Remicade®) rituximab (Rituxan®)
rheumatoid arthritis Listed — ORC Listed — CBC Listed — CBC Listed — CBC Listed — CBC
ankylosing spondylitis Not Applicable Listed — CBC Listed — CBC Listed — CBC Not Applicable
juvenile idiopathic arthritis Under Review Not Applicable Listed — CBC Not Applicable Not Applicable
psoriatic arthritis In Clinical Trials Listed — CBC Listed — CBC Listed — CBC Not Applicable
6th : Nova Scotia
Generic Name (Brand Name) abatacept (Orencia®) adalimumab (Humira®) etanercept (Enbrel®) infliximab (Remicade®) rituximab (Rituxan®)
rheumatoid arthritis Listed — CBC Listed — CBC Listed — CBC Listed — CBC Listed — CBC
ankylosing spondylitis Not Applicable Listed — CBC Listed — CBC Under Review Not Applicable
juvenile idiopathic arthritis Listed — CBC Not Applicable Listed — CBC Not Applicable Not Applicable
psoriatic arthritis In Clinical Trials Listed — CBC Listed — CBC Declined Listing Not Applicable
8th : Ontario
Generic Name (Brand Name) abatacept (Orencia®) adalimumab (Humira®) etanercept (Enbrel®) infliximab (Remicade®) rituximab (Rituxan®)
rheumatoid arthritis Listed — CBC Listed — CBC Listed — CBC Listed — CBC Listed — CBC
ankylosing spondylitis Not Applicable Under Review Listed — CBC Listed — CBC Not Applicable
juvenile idiopathic arthritis Under Review Not Applicable Listed — CBC Not Applicable Not Applicable
psoriatic arthritis In Clinical Trials Listed — CBC Listed — CBC Declined Listing Not Applicable
9th : NIHB*
Generic Name (Brand Name) abatacept (Orencia®) adalimumab (Humira®) etanercept (Enbrel®) infliximab (Remicade®) rituximab (Rituxan®)
rheumatoid arthritis Listed — CBC Listed — CBC Listed — CBC Listed — CBC Listed — CBC
ankylosing spondylitis Not Applicable Listed — CBC Listed — CBC Declined Listing Not Applicable
juvenile idiopathic arthritis Under Review Not Applicable Unknown Not Applicable Not Applicable
psoriatic arthritis In Clinical Trials Listed — CBC Listed — CBC Declined Listing Not Applicable
10th : Manitoba
Generic Name (Brand Name) abatacept (Orencia®) adalimumab (Humira®) etanercept (Enbrel®) infliximab (Remicade®) rituximab (Rituxan®)
rheumatoid arthritis Under Review Listed — CBC Listed — CBC Listed — CBC Listed — CBC
ankylosing spondylitis Not Applicable Listed — CBC Listed — CBC Unknown Not Applicable
juvenile idiopathic arthritis Under Review Not Applicable Unknown Not Applicable Not Applicable
psoriatic arthritis In Clinical Trials Listed — CBC Listed — CBC Unknown Not Applicable
11th : Yukon
Generic Name (Brand Name) abatacept (Orencia®) adalimumab (Humira®) etanercept (Enbrel®) infliximab (Remicade®) rituximab (Rituxan®)
rheumatoid arthritis Listed — CBC Listed — CBC Listed — CBC Listed — CBC Listed — CBC
ankylosing spondylitis Not Applicable Under Review Under Review Under Review Not Applicable
juvenile idiopathic arthritis Under Review Not Applicable Unknown Not Applicable Not Applicable
psoriatic arthritis In Clinical Trials Listed — CBC Under Review Under Review Not Applicable
12th : Prince Edward Island
Generic Name (Brand Name) abatacept (Orencia®) adalimumab (Humira®) etanercept (Enbrel®) infliximab (Remicade®) rituximab (Rituxan®)
rheumatoid arthritis Under Review Listed — CBC Listed — CBC Listed — CBC Under Review
ankylosing spondylitis Not Applicable Under Review Under Review Under Review Not Applicable
juvenile idiopathic arthritis Under Review Not Applicable Unknown Not Applicable Not Applicable
psoriatic arthritis In Clinical Trials Under Review Under Review Under Review Not Applicable

About the report card:
Arthritis Consumer Experts graded each of the provinces by assigning a score based upon number of medications listed, number under review, and number of declined listings. In some cases, information was unavailable from a province or territory's website. This lack of transparency was reflected in grade assignments.

Because provincial formularies change frequently, we encourage you to contact the Ministry of Health in your province with questions you may have about medication listings of concern to you.

Legend

Declined Listing: The formulary has decided not to reimburse patients being prescribed this medication.
In Clinical Trials: This medication is undergoing testing for use in treating this disease type.
Listed - CBC: Each province and territory has a process by which medications that are not normally included in the provincial, territorial or federal drug benefit lists are covered (or reimbursed). For the purposes of this report card, we have referred to these as case by case (or CBC) approvals.
Listed - ORC: Listed with Overly Restrictive Criteria. This medication has been listed with criteria not supported by medical evidence and considered unacceptable by Arthritis Consumer Experts.
NOC: Notice of Compliance from Health Canada has been issued for this medication for this form of arthritis.
Not Applicable: No Notice of Compliance (or NOC) has been issued for this medication for this form of arthritis.
Under Review: This drug has been approved by Health Canada and the province is currently deciding whether or not to reimburse for this drug.
Unknown: There is no public information available.
CDR: The Common Drug Review (CDR) is part of the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health. The Common Drug Review (CDR) conducts objective, rigorous reviews of the clinical and cost effectiveness of drugs, and provides formulary listing recommendations to the publicly funded drug plans in Canada (except Québec). (http://cadth.ca/index.php//cdr)


* Note: People living in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, who do not have private health insurance, have coverage for those drugs listed on the federal Non-Insured Health Benefits (NIHB) Formulary.