B.C. plan requiring people to switch to cheaper drugs costs more, study says

British Columbia's drug coverage plan has cost the province more money than it was supposed to save while worsening patients' health because of a policy that forces them to take cheaper medication for conditions such as acid reflux, says a new study.

Dr. James Gray, a gastroenterologist who co-authored the study, said Thursday the plan that came into effect in 2003 is a failed experiment that put unrealized cost savings ahead of patients' quality of life.

But Health Minister George Abbott disputed the study, saying its methodology is flawed and that other research suggests the government's policy is a success.

Read the full article: http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/090122/health/health_20090122_drug_woes_2