With 44 per cent of Canadian workers experiencing mental-health issues and mental health the fastest growing and leading cause of disability claims, benefits plans are feeling the strain. “The numbers are staggering in terms of what we’re seeing and the continual growth of this as an issue,” said Rebecca Smith, director of group life and […]
In its 2018 budget, the federal government created an advisory council on the implementation of national pharmacare, led by former Ontario health minister Eric Hoskins. The council, which solicited submissions from Canadians between June and September, is expected to release its final report in the spring. Whatever the report recommends, Canada is closer to a […]
Spending on prescription drugs is expected to total $33.7 billion in 2018, according to a new report by the Canadian Institute for Health Information. Of that total, $19.3 billion will come from private insurance and individuals paying out of pocket, while the remaining $14.4 billion will be financed by the public sector. As a whole, drug spending […]
The 2018 Calgary Drug Trends Summit shone a spotlight on a wide range of trends, from new advances in drug and lifestyle therapies to the impact of cannabis legalization on benefits coverage to drug plan cost management. Here are some of the highlights of the sessions: A look at pharmacist-led deprescribing using therapeutic nutrition intervention Achieving radiant […]
Well beyond childhood vaccines and the annual flu shot, the role of vaccines is evolving, from saving lives to improving life-long health and well-being. There is a shift underway with the development of vaccines to prevent or treat chronic conditions in addition to preventing infectious diseases. “Vaccines offer an opportunity to reduce disease as well as health-care […]
The landscape in the pharmaceutical world is forever changing, as drug costs continue to rise and drug plan sustainability is at risk, said Alberta Blue Cross’ Krystal Wynnyk at the 2018 Calgary Drug Trends Summit on Oct. 25. “We’re stuck trying to find a balance between plan sponsor costs and drug sustainability, and balancing that […]
Private drug plans are hugely valuable, for employees and employers alike, and they need to continue to be a part of the national drug landscape, even with a pharmacare program, said one speaker at the 2018 Calgary Drug Trends Summit. At the same time, drug costs are creating sustainability issues, said Sarah Lussier Hoskyn, senior analyst of […]
Two-thirds (67 per cent) of group insurance brokers said their client base would decrease if employer-paid benefits became taxable income, according to a survey by the Canadian Group Insurance Brokers and Digital Journal Group. In February 2017, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in Parliament his government wasn’t planning to tax employee health and dental plans. However, the […]
On Sept. 25 in Mississauga, Ont., the 2018 Pharmacy Solutions in Drug Plan Management Forum presented five sessions looking at the value that pharmacy brings to private drug plans, benefits plan member experience and health outcomes. Here are some of the highlights of the sessions: Leveraging pharmacy services to improve care, drive value As pharmacists’ […]
While type 2 diabetes is generally considered to be a chronic, progressive condition, a recent clinical trial showed that with pharmacist-led therapeutic nutritional intervention, reversal is a realistic goal. As Sean McKelvey, chief executive officer of the Institute for Personalized Therapeutic Nutrition, told attendees at the 2018 Pharmacy Solutions in Drug Plan Management Forum in […]