Getting Asthma medication while on TWP
 

Hi! I hope everyone is doing well. I am going to be starting my year in Canada through the CIC scheme in a few weeks but I had assumed the NHS would supply me with enough inhalers to last me the year, which I just found out is not the case. How do I get inhalers while in Canada? Can they be purchased in a pharmacy? My doctor here doesn't have a clue :huh:

Re: Getting Asthma medication while on TWP
 

Any walk in clinic will write you a prescription. I'm not sure if you can get provincial health coverage on a one year visa. If not then you'll pay for the visit as well as the prescription cost

Re: Getting Asthma medication while on TWP
 

Why assume the NHS will give you inhalers for the year when you are not in the country? I worked in a GP surgery and the most the GP's would give would be 3 months.

Re: Getting Asthma medication while on TWP
 

Because when I went away for 6 months they gave me 6. Also I assumed it because although I'm not at home for a year I am still a tax paying UK citizen. And I wasn't sure if I could get them in Canada when I'm not a PR and won't have a family doctor. My backup plan was to buy them online but that can be risky and this is something I really need for day to day life.

Re: Getting Asthma medication while on TWP
 

Thanks Zoe. Do you know how much a walk in charge is? I believe the inhaler itself is about $76 per month to Canadians who don't get them through benefits.

Re: Getting Asthma medication while on TWP
 

Which province are you headed for?

Once you qualify for provincial health care coverage (most province have a three month wait) a walk -in clinic will not charge you. You will as you know have to pay for the inhaler unless you have coverage through your employer.

You can get three months worth of your inhaler before you leave so the three month wait shouldn't be a problem.

Re: Getting Asthma medication while on TWP
 

$57 total for blue and brown inhalers in Toronto.The all in one Advair is $200.

Re: Getting Asthma medication while on TWP
 

It's advair that I take :( That's an extra $2400 a year. Holy Smitherines. :ohmy:

Re: Getting Asthma medication while on TWP
 

Will you get any health insurance from your work?

I have asthma also. My work plan covers 80% of cost of my brown budesonide Pulmicort turbohaler.

This seems to retail at around $80 here in Ontario

On the plus side, I tend to use it less than in the UK. Suspect that cleaner air might be the reason, though there are all sorts of other factors possibly.

Re: Getting Asthma medication while on TWP
 

What dose of advair is that? I am on Seretide(Advair) 100. $200 sounds a lot considering online they are around £41 for the genuine diskus.

Re: Getting Asthma medication while on TWP
 

No my work won't cover anything like that. I'll be in Ontario too. I was thinking the hot muggy summer and freezing winter would actually make things worse for asthma sufferers.

Re: Getting Asthma medication while on TWP
 

Winter is nice and dry though.

None of that damp chill you get in the UK, although obviously freezing of course.

Re: Getting Asthma medication while on TWP
 

Can you not talk to your doc and ask again?
When we emigrated my doc gave me at least 6mths worth if not more.
Good luck with your trip!
And I find my asthma better over here than the UK!

Re: Getting Asthma medication while on TWP
 

I have mild asthma and use a Bricanyl Turbuhaler over here. I used to use the aerosol version in the UK but they don't seem to have that over here, so had to use the powder one.

I was on a TWP (intra company transferee), but I did not actually sign up for a health card for quite a while, so not sure if that class is subject to the normal three month wait, pretty sure others in the company who came over at the same time were able to sign up right away.

Anyway, when I did get my card, walk in clinics were free to attend, just show your health card, and they were more than happy to provide me with a repeat prescription for my inhaler, usually with a couple of additional refills too. I used walk in's for at least four years, both in Toronto and Oakville, until I finally got round to registering with a doctor in March this year.

Cost of my inhaler is about $35, which isn't too bad, seems to last me at least four months, if not longer. I do get 80% of that back as I'm on my wife's health plan, but even still, $35 isn't too bad, ok, more expensive than it would be in the UK (think the dollar amount would be about $14)

I would say I was silly in waiting for so long, and you should get personal health coverage until you are able to get OHIP. If I had injured myself in some way that required medical attention I'm not sure how much it would have cost me.

Re: Getting Asthma medication while on TWP
 

Why will you be paying tax in the UK if you are living in Canada? :confused:

Re: Getting Asthma medication while on TWP
 

I have noticed that! Any time I've been in winter it may read -12 but it feels like 0 (as long as there's no wind! because the air is so dry.

Re: Getting Asthma medication while on TWP
 

My old doc from before I moved out of the city would have been fine and helpful in thsi way but I'm with a new doc in a new town now and he doesn't know me nor is he at all helpful.

Re: Getting Asthma medication while on TWP
 

Thanks for the info Sharkus, I didn't know I could get a card at all unless I was a PR. I've never heard of the inhaler you use and my asthma is also mild. I haven't had an attack since I was about 10 years old.

Re: Getting Asthma medication while on TWP
 

I'm self employed and run two small businesses in the UK mainly via the internet. One is music production and the other is foreign exchange trading. I'm not sure about how the tax should work while I'm in Canada for the year :confused:

Re: Getting Asthma medication while on TWP
 

You may be lucky. My Asthma problems essentially disappeared living in Calgary although the air is very, very dry.

Re: Getting Asthma medication while on TWP
 

I'm pretty sue that the Canadians will classify you as resident for tax purposes so you will pay Canadian tax on worldwide income while you are there. There is a tax treaty that should prevent double taxation for income earned in the UK.

Essentially when you fill in the Canadian tax return you declare your foreign income and foreign tax due on it which is credited (I think based upon Canadian marginal tax rates, but an accountant may correct me on this)against your Canadian tax due. From my experience this then upsets CRA who then ask for supporting documentation to proove that you have paid the foreign tax.

Re: Getting Asthma medication while on TWP
 

Could for example be 10% tax on UK dividends that is deducted before you receive tham and can't be reclaimed even if you are non tax resident.

Re: Getting Asthma medication while on TWP
 

To be honest with the way business has been over the last year I doubt I'll even make enough this year to be eligible to pay tax. I may end up mainly living off my savings.

Can I run my businesses back home via the internet on my TWP or do I actually have to be employed by someone while in Canada? And if I can just carry on with my businesses but have to support myself with savings what do I do about Canadian tax then?

I got the TWP so I could spend a year in Canada with my Canadian partner, living together with the intention to manage my businesses back home which can be done via the internet and if life there went well for the year and I wanted to stay I'd then apply for PR and move everything out to Canada including moving my trading account to a Canadian $ one and run my businesses in Canada. It is a tad confusing to me how to work this TWP properly in my situation. I really appreciate any advice.

Re: Getting Asthma medication while on TWP
 

I'd double-check, just to make sure I am correct though. I know *I* could get one, but as mentioned I was under intra-company transferee category and that could well be a special case.
Have a read of this and this. Gives info on who is eligible (seems TWP should be) and if you need to wait or can get OHIP right away.

Re: Getting Asthma medication while on TWP
 

You can definitely get OHIP on a TWP, intra company transferee or otherwise. You will be paying taxes here like a citizen so you are entitled. You will need to wait 3 months, so apply for it as soon as you arrive and once you have a SIN) and it will be good to go in 3 months time.

Do you have a job already sorted? I guess you must have to have got the TWP. It's worth checking what benefits they offer, they might also offer impatriate cover for the 3 months before OHIP kicks in.

As for ashtma meds, I got a 3 month stock from the doctor before going but I also had a repeat prescritption that I got filled a few times so I had more than that in reality. They lasted me well over 6 months, and as many people have said asthma seems to improve here. If you have mild asthma then I doubt you will need advair (seretide- the purple one) and will just need some ventolin. They are not too expensive (about $15 I think). I get 90% covered by my work plan but I got 2 advair for $27 (I don't know if they charge by the item here or by porescription). You can get a proper doctor while here - there is nothing to stop you doing that and they will diagnose you with the correct meds. Just take along your old prescription. It's not that difficult really!

Re: Getting Asthma medication while on TWP
 

If you have small children with asthma I'd advise getting hold of a few spacer devices before you come out too. We have insurance through OH's work but had to pay $40 upfront for a child's Aerochamber. :eek:The pharmacy said wasn't covered by insurance, we were able to claim it back, but just another thing to bear in mind.

Also note that any prescribed medication such as Claritin, Reactine, etc for allergies, hayfever etc doesn't appear to be covered under insurance schemes and you have to pay for them, even for kids. Again would advise bringing out what you can, especially if you have a child with an allergy who needs medication to be kept in school. It soon adds up.

Re: Getting Asthma medication while on TWP
 

Any of those drugs are available over the counter without a prescription and should not be prescribed. Insurance companies do not provide cover for over the counter drugs even if a doctor prescribes them.

Re: Getting Asthma medication while on TWP
 

Seems a bit odd you have to pay for medication for a child with a serious food allergy, (even if you can buy same drugs over the counter) whilst under same insurance scheme yet claim $500 worth of massages a year???

Re: Getting Asthma medication while on TWP
 

Medical insurance companies make no distinction between children and adults for drug coverage. If a drug is available over the counter without a prescription they do not pay for it.

It may seem strange to you because that's what you've been used to, it does not seem strange to me. Remember this is not the UK.;)