Advocacy & Awareness

Our Board of Directors connects with Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) and Members of Parliament (MPs) as well as business leaders within the community to represent ourmission and goals. We liaise and create dialogue to advocate for improved access to new therapies, treatment options and healthcare resources.

Myeloma Canada, industry partners and advocacy groups across the country work together to ensure the voice of patients is heard. They conduct surveys in Canada and the United States to understand the impact of Myeloma on quality of life, patient needs, treatment and impact of new therapies. They use this data for submissions to the pan-Canadian Oncology Drug Review (pCODR).  

The pan-Canadian Oncology Drug Review (pCODR) plays an important role in the decision making process for access and funding of cancer drugs in Canada. Once Health Canada has approved a cancer drug for use in Canada, the country's provinces and territories must decide if the drug will be eligible for public reimbursement.  The pCODR process brings objectivity and credibility to the cancer drug review process, allowing for greater understanding by all stakeholders while ensuring that individual provinces and territories can make funding decisions informed by evidence that has been carefully evaluated by oncology-specific experts.

The Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH) was created in 1989 by Canada’s federal, provincial, and territorial governments. The belief that Canada needs a coordinated approach to assessing health technologies resulted in the formation of this organization. The goal is to harness Canadian expertise from every region and produce solutions that benefit patients in jurisdictions across the country. Reimbursement recommendations are made by the CADTH pCODR Expert Review Committee (pERC) which is comprised of medical oncologists, physicians, pharmacists, economists, an ethicist, and patient members.

When opportunities present themselves for SAMPS to partner with groups that strive to improve access to new therapies or treatment options, we will reach out to members with information. This may include writing letters to MLAs or MPs, attending events or completing surveys. 

For more information on National advocacy efforts, please visit www.myelomacommunity.ca.

We can all work to increase awareness of Myeloma and be advocates for the disease each and every day! Becoming knowledgeable about the disease itself, and then sharing your story can engage the community and bringing awareness to the disease.