At a time when the B.C. government is examining every nook and cranny to find excess spending to cut from its annual budgets, it's to be expected that some provincial programs will lose funding.
The Liberal government was re-elected in part due to its commitment to bring in a balanced budget, and that means costcutting.
But too often, governments cut funding to something that was actually saving them money. This may look good on paper during the next fiscal year, but it means long-term losses.
Such is the case with the UBC Therapeutics Initiative, an independent drug watchdog.
The province cut $1 million in funding to the research initiative, which the NDP estimates
saves B.C.'s Pharmacare system more than $140 million per year.
The NDP vowed to reinstate funding and actually increase it to $2 million if
they won the election - but they didn't.
It's true that every single program and group that loses funding is going to claim they're essential to the province.
But in this case, we're talking about a watchdog that protects British Columbians from problems with their medication. Considering the high cost of health care overall, a program that saves people from adverse reactions - as well as money for B.C. Pharmacare - is clearly important for the well-being of all. Particularly with an aging population,
which will need more medication to deal with the health problems that crop up over time.
Long-term planning is essential for the financial health of our province. If we cut funding that actually saves us money, we'll be scrambling for those dollars in a few years' time.
But the bigger cost is the risk to our health.
The province may need to cut costs, but not if it means sacrificing the health of its people.
