As 2018 quickly approaches, so too does the rollout of Ontario’s new youth pharmacare coverage for those aged 24 and younger. The plan, which launches on Jan. 1, 2018, will provide universal coverage of all medicines listed in the Ontario Drug Benefit formulary. But will the government’s program, also known as OHIP+, lead to savings for […]
Canadian physicians are becoming more familiar with biosimilars, according to a new survey by the U.S.-based Alliance for Safe Biologic Medicines. The organization’s new survey, which polled more than 400 Canadian prescribers of biologics from 13 therapeutic specialties, found 83 per cent of respondents are either familiar or very familiar with biosimilars, compared to 58 per cent […]
Although a national pharmacare strategy seems elusive, the Ontario government is making a fairly aggressive investment in that area by spending $465 million to boost its provincial drug coverage by covering residents under age 25 and from 65 onwards. The program, known as OHIP+, begins Jan. 1, 2018. Children and youth under age 25 will by automatically eligible […]
It’s hard enough for plan members to understand how they can best use their benefits plans, particularly when they’re unaware of the details of the fees charged by service providers. Consider drug claims at a pharmacy. Many plan members aren’t aware that the cost includes an amount for the drug itself, a markup by the […]
More than 2,500 Canadians died from opioid-related overdoses in 2016, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada. The situation is particularly grave in the West. This year, British Columbia alone is on track to see 1,400 deaths due to opioids. The province declared a state of emergency in April 2016, and Alberta followed suit […]
The Reformulary Group Inc. has launched an app for its DrugFinder service that allows all Canadians to search the company’s curated list of medications. Previously only available to employees whose companies subscribed to the company’s formulary, the service allows users to find the cost, level of reimbursement and availability of any suitable alternative drugs. Read: Reformulary […]
Increased drug spending and the arrival of new, high-cost medications require innovative approaches to drive better decisions by plan members, according to John Herbert, director of strategy, product development and clinical services for Express Scripts Canada. As recent data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information shows, prescription drug spending in the private sector in Canada […]
Earlier this month, Health Canada did some substantial editing to its website, removing all references to a planned regulatory framework for orphan drugs. Orphan drugs are medications that treat rare diseases. The framework was an effort to help increase their availability for patients and foster their development by companies and researchers. Currently, Canada is one of the […]
In late June, the Quebec government revealed plans to issue tenders for generic drugs in order to lower costs incurred by the provincial prescription drug insurance plan. The province hoped to elicit bids from manufacturers and grant those offering the lowest prices a three-year contract as the exclusive supplier to the government. The Canadian Generic […]
Aon Canada is forming an alliance with the Reformulary Group that pairs its health and benefits consulting experience with the Toronto-based formulary management company’s specialist drug expertise. Through the partnership, the Reformulary Group will be Aon’s partner in formulary design, and both organizations will integrate their analytics to create better health and financial outcomes, according […]