Dear MLA [Last Name]:
Congratulations on your election to the British Columbia legislature! As a constituent in [Riding Name to be Inserted Here], I'm writing to let you know how you can #TakeActionForMS. Canada has one of the highest rates of multiple sclerosis (MS) in the world. The disease usually strikes a person in the prime of their lives, between the ages of 20 and 49, and women are up to three times more likely to be diagnosed with MS than men.
Just as MS doesn't affect everyone the same way, no two people respond in the same way to the same medication. What works in one person may not be as effective in another, which is why having every treatment option available is so important. Access to all Health Canada approved disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) can provide significant health and economic benefits to people living with MS.
British Columbians have inequitable access to DMTs for MS. BC is the only province that does not publicly cover Kesimpta and Ocrevus for relapsing MS. This puts British Columbians at a significant disadvantage from fellow Canadians because while there is no cure for MS, DMTs can dramatically alter the course of the disease by reducing annual relapse rates and slowing disability progression. Additionally, Kesimpta is the only DMT in its class of medications that is available as a self-injection rather than being delivered via infusion at a specialty clinic. This fills a significant gap in MS treatment.
We applaud the Government of British Columbia for including Kesimpta and Ocrevus in the drug plan for public service employees in BC. As you begin your work in the 43rd Parliament, you now have the opportunity to add these two MS drugs to BC PharmaCare to align with the government's own public service drug plan for equitable and fair access for all British Columbians.
[Your personal comments will be inserted here.]
MLA [Last Name], I hope I can count on you to stand up for British Columbians living with MS and address the inequities in medication in BC compared to the rest of Canada.
Sincerely,
[Participant First and Last Name]
[Participant City], [Participant Province] [Participant Postal Code]
Cc: MS Canada