Dan Welsh (Owen Sound,Ontario), 5 months ago

WOW! Just 18 million of 38 million completed by end date. The Feds will indicate by Wednesday if they will support an extenion. No big deal if they do not......some have expressed that Great Projects do not happen if we play it safe. Yes, an unfunded 20 plus million without Fed money is certainly not safe from a local financial perspective. Still, the advice from an eleven year old that, "We can take the risk." is somewhat comforting. After all, by 11, one has a good handle on risk and the possible financial downside and tax burden of an additional 20 million.........Let us spend money like water, we still have a ways to go before we are like Greece, Spain, Iceland....The dominos are lining up, this time, instead of Goldman Sachs, Leman Bros. etc, it will be the countries listed above, Hold on!!

Dan Welsh (Owen Sound,Ontario), 5 months ago

The Rec Center already 90 days behind schedule and over 1 million over budget. Council is just about to tender soil work. Concerns about funding deadllines. Perhaps we need some coverage questioning if perhaps this is an ill conceived, poorly planned project. Is it perhaps an extravant project given the tough economic times that may exist for some time yet?

Edward Sawdon (St. John's,NL), 5 months ago

PHARMACARE UPDATE - SWEDEN

Sweden is a Nordic country on the Scanadavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Neighbouring countries, include Norway (West); Finland (Northeast) and Denmark (South).

Like Australia, Belgium, Great Britain, Ireland, & New Zealand, Sweden has a Public National Pharmacare Program for all its residents!
Approximately, 9.2 million Swedes have access to Public Drug Coverge through the Swedish Government's Dental and Pharmaceutical Benefits Agency or TLV (Tandvards-och Lakemedelsformsansverket).

TVL follows three Prinicples:

- decide on whether a pharmaceutical product or dental care procedure shall be subsidized or not

- consider cost effectiveness i.e. whether or not the cost of treatment is reasonable in relation to the good it does

- providing more assistance to those people who have the greatest needs.

According to Swedish Government Health Official, Anne Nilsson (Deputy Director, Health Care Division, Ministry of Health & Social Affairs), Swedish citizens "are entitled to a safety net that limits the costs of medical products for the individual. The high cost thresholds also extends to people from other Nordic countries and persons eligible for health care benefits in Sweden according to the EU Council's ordinance (EEG) 1408/71"

Like other jurisdictions, some prescription drugs are covered privately by health consumers themselves. The most an individual Swede or Swedish Family pays in annual "co-payments" is SEK 1800 Krona. On average, Swedish Health Consumers pay 21% of their annual medication costs.

TVL's Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme is designed in such a way that the more Swedes pay for their meds the more they receive in drug coverage. For example, Swedes who's annual drug costs are less than SEK 900 ($135 CAD), receive no assistance whatsoever. Those Swedes who annual Drug Costs are between SEK 900 and SEK 1700 ($255 CAD), receive 50% coverage. Those Swedes who spend between SEK 1700 and SEK 3300 ($495 CAD), receive 75% coverage. Those Swedes who spend between SEK 3300 and SEK 4300 ($645 CAD) receive 90% coverage. And, those Swedes who spend over SEK 4300 towards their annual medication costs, receive full 100% coverage.

In Sweden, TVL has made "Generic Substitution" mandatory. For example, mental health consumers who receive a anti-depressant prescription of Cipramel from their Psychiatrist or Physician have to go on the less-expensive generic Citalopram. And, for those mental health consumers who are prescribed Zoloft have to go on the less costlier Sertraline. In general trems, this rule applys to Physically Health Related Medication too! Those Swedes who require Losec for Ulcers or GERD, have to go on the generic Omeprazole.

However, Swedish Health Consumers have the right to decline a generic product provided they are willing to make the difference between the generic drug and the more expensive Brand name product.

According to the Swedish Government, "Generic Substitution" has enabled Sweden to save $700 million Euro dollars in their Nationwide Drug Plan.

Sweden's TVL Program is quite similiar to New Zealand's PHARMAC - Sweden has a Patient "User Council," whereas, New Zealand has a Consumer Advisory Committee.

Every foreign country, I have researched so far, has a PUBLIC NATIONAL PHARMACARE PROGRAM for all their citizens! Whereas, here in Canada, we Canadian Health Consumers have 14 Federal, Provincial and Territorial Government Drug Plans. In his recent reponse to my latest Pharmacare Update, Federal Finance Minister James Flaherty states:

"Under the Canada Health Act, all necessary drug therapy administered within a Canadian hospital setting is insured and publicly funded. Outside of the hospital setting, provincial and territorial governments are responsible for the administration of their own publicly funded prescription drug benefit programs. Most Canadians have access to insurance coverage for prescription medicines through public and/or private insurance plans. The federal, provincial and territorial governments offer varying levels of coverage, with different eligibility requirements, premiums and deductibles. The publicly-funded programs generally provide insurance coverage for those most in need, based on age, income, and medical condition."

Minister Flaherty, whatever happened to the National Pharmaceutical Strategy and the Provincial & Territorial Health Ministers 2006 recommendation for a National Pharmacare Program?

Edward Sawdon
5A Patrick Street
St. John's, NL
A1E 2S5
Tel: 709 726-6806
Email: Sawdon_edward@yahoo.com

r.linton (port elgin,ON), 5 months ago

Re: Sun Times of Wed. 03Feb2010
Council mulls solar power propsals
Why would anyone have to think about a deal like that, I would like one, oh make it a hundred acre field.
10 megawatts of power from a 17 feet by 35 feet investment of $100,000. 10 meg or 10,000 kilowatts times the 80 Cents or $8,000.00 per hour at peak performance, would not take long paying off the debt. A little research into the numbers may have made things a little more realistic. Einstein estimated that the earth received about 100 watts of solar power per square foot. Some scientific research may have increased this a bit, my son says 126.9 watts at the equator at high noon. 100 times the 595 square feet or 59.5 kw would give me somewhat less than the 10 megawatt as in the story.