ArticleCMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne2017
Estimated effects of adding universal public coverage of an essential medicines list to existing public drug plans in Canada.
Article in CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 20 papers.
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The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
20 citing papers in PubMed, 30 citations in OpenAlex.
- Adherence at 2 years with distribution of essential medicines at no charge: The CLEAN Meds randomized clinical trial.PLoS medicine · 2021Trial
- Out-of-pocket prescription medicine expenditure amongst community-dwelling adults: Findings from the Irish longitudinal study on ageing (TILDA) in 2016.Exploratory research in clinical and social pharmacy · 2025Article
- Biologic medicine inclusion in 138 national essential medicines lists.Pediatric rheumatology online journal · 2021Article
- Outpatient oral anticancer agent utilization and costs in Manitoba from 2003 to 2016: a population-based study.Canadian journal of public health = Revue canadienne de sante publique · 2021Article
- Universal Pharmacare in Canada: A Prescription for Equity in Healthcare.International journal of health policy and management · 2020Article
- Election 2019: unprecedented hope for universal pharmacare.CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne · 2019Article
- Acceptability and feasibility of a national essential medicines list in Canada: a qualitative study of perceptions of decision-makers and policy stakeholders.CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne · 2019Article
- How to pay for national pharmacare.CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne · 2018Article
- Catastrophic drug coverage: utilization insights from the Ontario Trillium Drug Program.CMAJ open · 2018Article
- Prescription drug coverage in Canada: a review of the economic, policy and political considerations for universal pharmacare.Journal of pharmaceutical policy and practice · 2018Review
- Comparison of Canadian public medication insurance plans and the impact on out-of-pocket costs.CMAJ open · 2017Article
- List of essential medicines for Canada.CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne · 2017Article
- A priority-setting framework is needed to understand the value of investing in a universal drug plan.CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne · 2017Article
- Estimated effects of adding universal public coverage of an essential medicines list to existing public drug plans in Canada.CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne · 2017Article
- Do reimbursement recommendation processes used by government drug plans in Canada adhere to good governance principles?ClinicoEconomics and outcomes research : CEOR · 2017Article
- Out-of-pocket costs and adherence to antihypertensive agents among older adults covered by the public drug insurance plan in Quebec.Patient preference and adherence · 2017Article
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Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundCanada's universal health care system does not include universal coverage of prescription drugs. We sought to estimate the effects of adding universal public coverage of an essential medicines list to existing public drug plans in Canada.
methodsWe used administrative and market research data to estimate the 2015 shares of the volume and cost of prescriptions filled in the community setting that were for 117 drugs on a model list of essential medicines for Canada. We compared prices of these essential medicines in Canada with prices in the United States, Sweden and New Zealand. We estimated the cost of adding universal public drug coverage of these essential medicines based on anticipated effects on medication use and pricing.
resultsThe 117 essential medicines on the model list accounted for 44% of all prescriptions and 30% of total prescription drug expenditures in 2015. Average prices of generic essential medicines were 47% lower in the US, 60% lower in Sweden and 84% lower in New Zealand; brand-name drugs were priced 43% lower in the US. Estimated savings from universal public coverage of these essential medicines was $4.27 billion per year (range $2.72 billion to $5.83 billion; 28% reduction) for patients and private drug plan sponsors, at an incremental government cost of $1.23 billion per year (range $373 million to $1.98 billion; 11% reduction).
interpretationOur analysis showed that adding universal public coverage of essential medicines to the existing public drug plans in Canada could address most of Canadians' pharmaceutical needs and save billions of dollars annually. Doing so may be a pragmatic step forward while more comprehensive pharmacare reforms are planned.
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