Red tape shouldn’t delay access to treatments that work!
A call to action: Heather’s journey with Crohn’s
Heather knows how quickly a Crohn's disease flareup can happen.
“It doesn't wait. It can come fast and furious, and it can really debilitate you,” she says.
Heather was diagnosed nearly 20 years ago, before today’s advanced treatments even existed. By the time they became available, her condition had already progressed – resulting in missed milestones and major health complications.
Today, there are far more treatment options that could help patients earlier in their journey with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Yet many still can’t access them. Harmful policies require them to try – and fail – other medications before accessing therapies they and their doctors know could work better, faster.
That’s why Heather has joined us in speaking out so others don’t have to endure what she did. “If I’d had access to top-tier drugs right away, maybe things wouldn’t have escalated,” she says.
“Maybe I’d still have my colon. Maybe I wouldn’t have missed my 40th birthday party or a huge family reunion.”
Why we’re calling for change.
More than two decades after Heather’s diagnosis, IBD patients across the country are still living with worsening health – because of red tape that delays their access to treatments that work.
And they’re not the only ones affected.
“Treating people faster and more effectively would help ease some of the pressure on the healthcare system. We wouldn’t be taking up resources others need,” Heather explains.
Quebec has already eliminated these outdated policies. Now it’s time for the rest of the country to follow.
Patients with IBD can’t afford to wait.
Sign the petition now to end “fail first” policies and demand faster access to the care people need.
Sign the petition