British Columbia -  COPD Provincial Report Card Rating -  

 D+ (an overall mark of 58

Note: The information contained herein (by province and Canada as a whole), has been extracted from  the Canadian Lung Association's, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD): a "National Report Card, 2005." 

Public Awareness & Attitudes:

• Provincial Awareness - 53%
• Unsympathetic towards smokers -51% (i.e. they get what they deserve)
• 95% believe COPDer's should have access to the best medications
• B.C. has the lowest smoking rate (15%) in Canada

Physician Awareness, Attitudes, Familiarity with CTS (Canadian Thoracic Society) Treatment Guidelines

• 75%of the physicians feel comfortable managing COPD
• 78% say they're very knowledgeable about the disease symptoms
• 8% acknowledged  discrimination towards smokers with respect to quality of care
• 24% of the patients say their quality of health care was less because they were, or had been, smokers
• 78% of the Dr's were familiar with CTS guidelines

Access to and Use of Spirometry

• 85% of the physicians acknowledged access to spirometry testing
• 33% of the physicians have used spirometry to diagnose COPD
• 15% of physicians are comfortable interpreting the results.

Physician Prescribing Habits & Access to COPD Medications

• 52% of physicians reported they follow the CTS guidelines most of the time
• 3% follow them all of the time
• 93% of Dr's (9 out of 10) are unable to prescribe the best (latest) medications due to current reimbursement restrictions.

Taken from Health Canada's Web Site....."The federal government provides funding through cash and tax transfers to the provinces and territories to help pay for health care services, but the actual delivery of services is a provincial/territorial responsibility."

To find out who your MP is with complete contact info, all you need to do at this site is enter your postal code.  Find your MP

Your provincial Health Minister is :  Honourable George Abbott

                                                        PO Box 9050  STN PROV GOVT 

                                                        Victoria BC   V8W 9E2
                                                        Phone:250- 953-3547 Fax: 250- 356-9587

                                                         HLTH.Health@gems1.gov.bc.ca

    Note:  Click here to view the Lung Association's FULL report card