The Canadian Gastrointestinal Society is criticizing the B.C. government for its slow approval of drugs already available in other Canadian provinces. Doctors treating inflammatory bowel disease in B.C. are often required to first try older, less effective medications that can have costly side effects. They can access advanced treatments only if the older medications fail. Gail Attara, CEO of the Canadian Gastrointestinal Society, stated that the government may see it as cost savings, but delaying treatment worsens the disease. The GI Society claims that doctors sometimes prescribe older medications and tell patients to discard them multiple times to access the necessary medication. B.C. Health Minister Josie Osborne said the government always considers the evidence and works with the federal government.