Josee Owen is appealing to the New Brunswick Human Rights Commission to have the provincial government pay for her prescription drug costs.Josee Owen is appealing to the New Brunswick Human Rights Commission to have the provincial government pay for her prescription drug costs. (CBC)

A Bouctouche, N.B., woman is taking her fight with the province's Department of Health over the lack of funding for her prescription drug costs to the New Brunswick Human Rights Commission.

Josee Owen, 36, has had rheumatoid arthritis since she was 10 and now takes the drug Enbrel.

Even though she has partial medical insurance coverage through her employer, she still pays $370 a month — about eight per cent of her income — to cover the cost of the medication.

Owen said the Department of Health has an obligation to help people who are overwhelmed by drug costs.

P.O.V.

Do you feel overwhelmed by the cost of prescription drugs? Take our poll.

"There are some times when I can't take the medication it comes down to a choice between priorities," Owen said.

"Our well … just broke, you know you can't live without water so sometimes it comes down to those choices."

Owen said she's tried many medications over the years but Enbrel has finally helped her get the disease under control. But what she can't control is the cost.

She said the provincial government should help her to pay for the drug and has filed a complaint with the New Brunswick Human Rights Commission.

Owen said the provincial government asked for a mediator from the Human Rights Commission to deal with her case.

A meeting will be held on Wednesday between the two sides in the drug-funding dispute.

Expanded drug coverage

Chrystiane Mallaley, a Department of Health official, said the provincial government cannot comment on individual cases.

But Mallaley wrote in an email the provincial government has set up a committee through the Economic and Social Inclusion Corporation to look at options for a plan to protect families in the event of a catastrophic illness.

However, Owen has her own ideas on how the New Brunswick government can help families mitigate the high cost of prescription drugs.

"What I would really like to see out of all this is a catastrophic drug policy or program with the government that is very inclusive," Owen said.

Without such a program, Owen said she feels the provincial government is discriminating against people with certain physical disabilities.