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OTTAWA – Health Canada today, October 17, 2000, accepted the recommendations of the Auditor General’s follow-up to the 1997 report on First Nations Health. The recommendations address issues related to contribution agreements for First Nations community health programs, as well as a follow-up on the transfer framework and the Non-Insured Health Benefits (NIHB) program.

The Department is pleased that the Auditor General noted Health Canada has taken action to address the recommendations made in 1997. However, it recognizes that more needs to be done. Health Canada is committed to continuing its active follow-up to these recommendations in partnership with First Nations.

The current recommendations address a need to improve certain administrative processes. Health Canada is proposing action to improve the capacity within First Nations to fulfill the reporting requirements of the contribution agreements through which health programs are delivered.

Since 1997, the department has implemented a Point of Service (POS) warning system, a key mechanism in the administration of pharmacy benefits and the control of prescription drugs under the NIHB program. Health Canada has taken steps to more closely monitor the action taken by pharmacists when they receive drug utilization messages from the POS system. The limited number of clients accessing a large number of prescriptions is not inconsistent with the disease incidence amongst First Nations and Inuit and the current therapies associated with their treatment. As well, the department has now taken action to fully implement an audit strategy for the NIHB program, which covers pharmacists and dentists.