Bureaucrat Heading Up Ont. Drug Reform Target Of Death Threats
Posted April 21, 2010 1:38 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The bureaucrat at the helm of the province’s controversial drug reforms works under heavy security and receives death threats.
Helen Stevenson, the assistant deputy minister of health, has been the target of angry letters, calls and emails since the Liberal government’s proposed changes to the drug plan were first floated back in 2006, according to a published report.
The government intends to slash the cost of generic drugs by at least 50 per cent and will ban allowances paid to pharmacies from generic drug makers – money druggists say allows them to offer extended hours and services.
Some smaller pharmacies worry the changes will put them out of business. Larger chains, including Shoppers Drug Mart and Rexall, have already cut hours and services in protest.
According to a report in the Toronto Star Wednesday, Stevenson works in a secure office area and has a panic button on her desk.
Police also reportedly cruise by her Toronto home periodically to ensure there’s no trouble. Stevenson told the paper she’s received hundreds of threatening postcards she claims were sent from members of the Independent Pharmacists of Ontario.
