Public drug plan coverage for children across Canada: a portrait of too many colours.
نویسندگان
چکیده
BACKGROUND As debate continues regarding pharmacare in Canada, little discussion has addressed appropriate drug plan coverage for vulnerable populations, such as children. The primary objective of this study was to determine the extent of medication coverage for children in publicly administered programs in each province across Canada. METHODS Data were collected on provincial, territorial and federal government drug plans, and 2003 formulary updates were obtained. A simulation model was constructed to demonstrate costs to a low-income family with an asthmatic child in each province. Programs were compared descriptively. The extent of interprovincial variation in 2003 formulary approvals was summarized statistically. RESULTS There was 39% variation between provinces with respect to 2003 formulary approvals (chi-square p < 0.0001) and 48% variation for 2003 paediatric-labelled products (chi-square p < 0.0001). Across Canada, only 8% of 2003 formulary approvals were indicated primarily for paediatric conditions. In the simulation model, costs were less than or equal to 3% of household income in provinces with plans for low-income families, catastrophic costs (Ontario) or for the population. Families who failed to qualify for low income plans or who resided in New Brunswick or Newfoundland faced costs up to 7% of household income. INTERPRETATION With regard to pharmaceutical benefits for children, provincial drug programs vary considerably in terms of whom they cover, what drugs are covered and how much subscribers must pay out of pocket. Unlike seniors and social assistance recipients, the provinces do not agree on the importance of providing comprehensive coverage for all children. For many Canadian children, significant financial barriers exist to medication access.
منابع مشابه
Universal Pharmacare in Canada: A Prescription for Equity in Healthcare
Despite progressive universal drug coverage and pharmaceutical policies found in other countries, Canada remains the only developed nation with a publicly funded healthcare system that does not include universal coverage for prescription drugs. In the absence of a national pharmacare plan, a province may choose to cover a specific sub-population for certain drugs. Altho...
متن کاملInter-provincial variation in government drug formularies.
In Canada, coverage for ambulatory prescription drug expenditures is provided to some groups by provincial drug plans through a provincial formulary. Little is known about the drugs provincial formularies give access to. We report the variation in availability of new drug molecules (NDM) across provincial formularies. We identified 108 NDM approved in Canada between 1991 and 1998. From each dru...
متن کاملIt Won’t Be Easy: How to Make Universal Pharmacare Work in Canada
One of the glaring gaps in Canada’s universal healthcare system is the low level of public financing of prescription drugs - 42.7% of total spending in 2018. At the federal level there is renewed interest in moving towards universal coverage, supported by a recently commissioned report on how to achieve it. It will take superb political navigation to extract Canadian ph...
متن کاملHigh Immunization Coverage in Children as One of the Major Achievements for the Health System in Iran
Vaccination considered as one of the most cost-effective health interventions worldwide through prevention and control of many serious childhood diseases (1). It is estimated global coverage of Dose 3 of Diphtheria, Tetanus, and Pertussis (DTP3)among children one year old has been 86% in 2014 (by range from 77% to 96% in African Region and Western Pacific Region; respectively) (2). Globally...
متن کاملذخیره در منابع من
با ذخیره ی این منبع در منابع من، دسترسی به آن را برای استفاده های بعدی آسان تر کنید
عنوان ژورنال:
- Healthcare policy = Politiques de sante
دوره 1 1 شماره
صفحات -
تاریخ انتشار 2005