- OTTAWA (CNW) - Spending on
prescribed drugs is projected to have reached $12.3 billion in 2001, an
increase of 10.6% over 2000, according to a new report released today by
the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI). Total spending on
drugs, both prescribed and non- prescribed, was estimated at $15.5 billion
in 2001.
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- Since 1997, spending on drugs has represented the second
largest category of health expenditures next to hospital services. In 2001,
spending on drugs is expected to have consumed an increased share of
Canada's
health care dollar, accounting for 15.2% of total health care spending
compared to 14.9% in 2000.
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- "From 1985 to 1992, Canada's total drug expenditure
grew at an average annual rate of 12.1%. The mid-1990s represented a period
of slower growth in total drug spending, with an average annual rate of
increase of 4.9% from 1992 to 1996," explains pharmacist Lynn
Brousseau
who is CIHI's Manager of Drug Utilization and Mental Health. "In the
last five years, however, higher growth rates in total drug spending have
resumed, with an average annual rate of growth of 8.7% from 1997 to
2001."
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- According to CIHI's report, the growth in drug
expenditure
during the past five years was driven primarily by an increase in
prescribed
drug spending, which has risen by 46.4% since 1997 (from $8.4 billion to
$12.3 billion).
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- TOTAL DRUG EXPENDITURE - PRESCRIBED AND
NON-PRESCRIBED
-
- In 2001, spending on prescribed drugs is projected to
have reached $12.3 billion, an increase of 10.6% over the previous year.
Prescribed drugs now account for 79.1% of total drug spending.
-
- In contrast, non-prescribed drugs (such as
over-the-counter
medications and personal health supplies) cost an estimated $3.3 billion
in 2001 representing a 1.7% increase over 2000.
-
- PER CAPITA SPENDING ON DRUGS
-
- In 2001, Canadians on average spent an estimated $500
each on drugs, an increase of 7.6% over the previous year.
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- PRESCRIBED DRUG EXPENDITURE - PUBLIC AND PRIVATE
SECTORS
-
- CIHI's figures indicate that public sector spending on
prescribed drugs has been increasing at a faster rate than private sector
spending in recent years. Public sector expenditure on prescribed drugs
is expected to have risen to $6.0 billion in 2001, almost matching the
amount spent on prescribed drugs by the private sector, at $6.2 billion
dollars in 2001.
-
- The share of prescribed drugs in public health care
spending
has more than doubled since 1985. Drug spending, which accounted for only
3.7% in 1985, is estimated to have reached 8.1% in 2001. During the same
period, the share of prescribed drugs in private health care spending
(including
private insurance and out-of-pocket expenditure) has remained relatively
stable at about 30% each year from 1985 to 2001.
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- PROVINCIAL COMPARISONS
-
- "Spending on drugs varies across the country,"
says Ms. Brousseau. "Drug expenditures are influenced by multiple
inter-related factors such as the comprehensiveness and universality of
drug subsidy programs, variations in the age and sex distribution of the
population, the health needs of the population, and methods of health
service
delivery."
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- In 1999, the latest year for which detailed data are
available, drug expenditure per capita among the provinces ranged from
$482 in Ontario to $362 in British Columbia. Ontario ($482), Prince Edward
Island ($463), and Nova Scotia ($458) spent the most per capita on drugs
while Saskatchewan ($379), Manitoba ($373) and British Columbia ($362)
spent the least.
-
- DRUG EXPENDITURES IN CANADA, 2002
-
- Drug Expenditures in Canada, 2002, provides a descriptive
overview of Canadian drug expenditure trends from 1985 to 1999 and includes
forecasts for 2000 and 2001. The report draws upon data compiled from
CIHI's
National Health Expenditure Database, Canada's most comprehensive source
of information on health care financing and spending. Relevant definitions
and methodologies are contained within the report (available in electronic
format only: ( http://www.cihi.cawww.cihi.ca
).
-
- CANADIAN INSTITUTE FOR HEALTH INFORMATION
(CIHI)
-
- The Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI)
is an independent, pan-Canadian, not-for-profit organization working to
improve the health of Canadians and the health care system by providing
quality health information. CIHI's mandate, as established by Canada'
health
ministers, is to coordinate the development and maintenance of a common
approach to health information for Canada. To this end, CIHI is responsible
for providing accurate and timely information that is needed to establish
sound health policies, manage the Canadian health system effectively and
create public awareness of factors affecting good health.
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- FIGURES AND TABLES ARE ALSO AVAILABLE FROM CIHI'S
WEB SITE: www.cihi.ca
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- © 2002 Canada NewsWire Ltd. All rights reserved.
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re.ca/releases/April2002/24/c7699.html
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