Working within the system

Hope all of you are doing well!  I am currently trying to figure out how to get a drug for a patient under a Special Access procedure via Pharmacare.  This is something you do when the drug you want is not normally available in BC.  I want to try ivabradine in a patient with advanced coronary disease.  It is not available anywhere in the country!  It is not part of my usual therapy but other options for my patient are extremely limited.

I am wondering if any of you have ever needed a drug that is not covered by our publicly-funded healthcare system?  I hear stories about this issue in cancer chemotherapy fairly often.

This problem does not seem as common in cardiology, the most important drugs are covered and alternatives are available with a special request.  This particular drug looks particularly difficult to get – I have to do a bunch of paperwork including the trials that support the drug’s usage. I will try it and see how it goes!