In its submission to the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board’s draft guidelines, the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association is suggesting that the board consider disbursing excess revenues from pharmaceutical companies to employers rather than just to the provincial and territorial public payers. Currently, any excess revenues — determined by voluntary compliance undertaking or orders […]
The coronavirus pandemic is dramatically affecting workplaces, employers and employees across Canada, according to a new survey by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans. While a third of surveyed employers said they already offered telehealth or telemedicine before the pandemic, an additional 19 per cent said they added it during the crisis and another […]
The Federal Court has upheld reforms to the Patented Medicines Pricing Review Board that updated the board’s reference countries for drug pricing and required it to review three new economic factors when determining whether patented medicines are excessively priced. The court ruled against an argument by Innovative Medicines Canada and 16 pharmaceutical companies in their […]
The coronavirus pandemic has prompted a spike in the use of prescription medication for mental-health concerns, according to an analysis by Express Scripts Canada. The analysis found an 11 per cent increase in plan members making claims for antidepressants between January and June 2020, compared to the same period in 2019. As well, 61 per […]
Private drug plans saw the largest yearly increase in their average eligible costs in 2019, according to Telus Health’s annual drug trends report. The report attributed the rise to a jump in the use and cost of specialty drugs and a growth in younger Canadians using medication for mental-health challenges. It also noted the repeal of the OHIP+ program […]
Virtual-care options are gaining ground, according to the 2020 Sanofi Canada health-care survey. Looking at a scenario where plan members would receive health-care services through secure digital chat or video devices — where the health-care professionals aren’t the member’s usual providers, but would be able to share the consultation information with them if requested — […]
The bargaining unit representing University of Ottawa support staff has voted down a so-called final offer from the university by 80 per cent. The unit, which is part of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation, is objecting to proposed cuts to certain benefits in the offer, including cuts to the current retirement allowance and parental leave top-ups, as […]
While 67 per cent of Canadian plan members described their level of knowledge about a possible national pharmacare program as low or medium, 27 per cent said they don’t know anything at all about it, according to the 2020 Sanofi Canada health-care survey. Among plan sponsor respondents, 73 per cent described their level of knowledge […]
Nearly half (49 per cent) of Canadian plan members said they’re confident their group benefits plan will cover medications for serious diseases such as cancer and diabetes, which cost between $1,000 and $10,000 per month, according to the 2020 Sanofi Canada health-care survey. When presented with the scenario of a drug that can treat or […]
While 55 per cent of Canadian plan members take at least one medication on a regular basis, this increases to 70 per cent among those with a chronic condition and/or chronic pain and 87 per cent among those in poor health, according to the 2020 Sanofi Canada health-care survey. In addition, 23 per cent of […]