The pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance and the Canadian Generic Pharmaceutical Association have reached a deal aimed at reducing the prices for some generic drugs by as much as 40 per cent. While the parties are touting significant savings for Canada’s public drug plans, they also say employers and patients will benefit from price reductions of 25 to 40 per cent, as of […]
Since Ontario rolled out its new pharmacare program for youth on Jan. 1, multiple media reports have detailed the challenges faced by some people in transitioning to public drug coverage from their private plan. The examples include a mother who, according to the Brantford Expositor, found that while the provincial program doesn’t cover Fluoxetine, a medication for her child’s obsessive-compulsive disorder, […]
Universal pharmacare is an “overly simplistic” solution that risks cutting access to drugs, says a senior executive at one of Canada’s largest pharmaceutical companies. “It sounds like a lovely solution,” Julia Brown, vice-president of government affairs and market access at Janssen Inc., told the audience at Benefits Canada’s 2017 Face-to-Face Drug Plan Management Forum. But […]
Employers will see private drug plan costs rise by about six per cent annually over the next five years, according to a prediction by a health-care research company. Brad Millson, principal of health access and outcomes at IQVIA, presented the results of his firm’s 2017-21 forecast, produced in partnership with Innovative Medicines Canada, at Benefits […]
Employers should review their drug plans annually to make sure they’re getting value for money, according to a speaker at the recent Face to Face Drug Plan Management forum. “It’s good drug plan management hygiene,” said Kim MacFarlane, assistant vice-president of group benefit product at Manulife Financial Corp. Even if the unwieldy nature of drug […]
From biosimilars to product listing agreements, a panel of experts tackled some of the hottest topics in drug plan management at the Face to Face Drug Plan Management forum on Dec. 14. Barbara Martinez, who heads up the national drug benefits solutions practice at the Great-West Life Assurance Co., addressed the question of biosimilars during […]
As Ontario prepares to roll out its new pharmacare program for youth on Jan. 1, plan sponsors and members will be watching to see how the transition to the public plan from private coverage will work. Of particular concern is the relationship between private plans and the exceptional access program, which facilitates access to drugs not listed on […]
The average cost increases for employer-sponsored health-care plans are set to increase at a faster rate than inflation in 2018, according to a new report by Aon. Global average cost increases are projected to be 8.4 per cent in 2018, nearly three times the projected rate of inflation of 3.1 percent. Results vary depending on region, with […]
The Ontario government may be spending more than it needs to on generic drugs, according to the auditor general’s latest annual report. Auditor general Bonnie Lysyk tabled her 2017 annual report on Wednesday, which found the province doesn’t know whether it’s making any progress in fighting preventable chronic disease. It found total spending by Ontario’s public […]
Keeping private drug plans sustainable is key for all Canadians. While measures such as mandatory generic substitution and prior authorization are standard solutions in many employer drug plans, costs continue to rise. As employers consider what to do next, there’s a role for pharmacy to play, according to Mark Rolnick, vice-president of payor partnerships and […]