Forcing people to switch medications in this manner may have saved the government money but has put the lives of the patients at risk. If you’re taking a biologic medication, there’s always a chance your body could grow accustomed to it and eventually reject the medication. And there’s a limited number of available biologics to try. And it takes months for the patient’s body to adjust. IMO this was a strategy that was the easiest solution but really doesn’t account for the patients at all. There could at least have been a staggered approach by implementing the change slowly as a natural need to switch medications arose, maximising patient safety. Instead, people with “invisible illnesses” are being forced to unnecessarily switch their medications, reducing the options available to them if the switch doesn’t work. The patient impact would need to be monitored over years to manage this responsibly.

Patients should not be pressured to switch their life-altering medications in order to save the government money. Where is the pressure on pharmaceutical companies to lower their goddamn prices so that patients aren’t expected to absorb all the cost and risks in these scenarios? My medications would cost me or the government $1500/month. I totally agree with the government that the price is insane. PATIENTS DON’T SET THE PRICES.