# Auditor General of Canada Spring 2016 report:  Drug Benefits



## The Bread Guy (3 May 2016)

This summary from the AG ...


> What we examined (see Focus of the audit)
> 
> This audit focused on whether Veterans Affairs Canada managed the drug component of its Health Care Benefits Program to contribute to the health of its veteran population by
> 
> ...


... this link to the full report, and the Minister's response:


> “I want to begin by stating that I accept all of the recommendations in the Auditor General’s report relating to Veterans Affairs Canada.
> 
> “The Government of Canada is committed to providing our Veterans and their families with the care and support they need to ensure their health and well-being.
> 
> ...


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## mariomike (26 Oct 2016)

I read the, "Veterans allowed too much pot, says former NDP MP Peter Stoffer" discussion ( now merged into the 6-page "Therapeutic Pot use" discussion in the VAC forum ), and took a second look at this AG report from May of this year. 

Any opinions if the situation has improved, worsened or remained the same since the AG report?

"Canada's auditor general is urging the Department of Veterans Affairs to get a handle on its drugs benefit program including the amount of medical pot being prescribed to veterans, which it found is "poorly documented" and not always based on evidence."

"For instance, in 2014, the department limited to 10 grams per day the amount of medical marijuana it would cover for eligible veterans — twice the amount shown to be safe — but the auditor general's office could not find any evidence to support this decision."

"Pot limit doubled despite health risks

According to the report, an internal briefing document showed "Health Canada indicated that more than five grams per day may increase risks with respect to the drug's effect on the cardiovascular, pulmonary, and immune systems, and on psychomotor performance, and may increase the risk of drug dependence."

Despite the potential risks, the auditor general found the department had doubled the limit to 10 grams per day per veteran, and that "in rare circumstances it could increase this limit after consulting with a veteran's health care provider.

The report also found that between January and November of 2015, the department approved that coverage of 10 grams per day for 340 veterans. Six veterans who had received marijuana for medical purposes before the limit had been established continued to receive more than 10 grams per day.

The report recommended that "Veterans Affairs Canada should implement a decision-making framework that specifies the type of evidence and how it is considered."

The report also found that where evidence-based decisions were made, there were no timelimes to implement them."
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/auditor-general-ferguson-spring-2016-report-1.3563877

( Perhaps this discussion will also be merged with the VAC "Therapeutic Pot use" mega-thread. )


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