ArticleCMAJ open
The impact of OHIP+ pharmacare on use and costs of public drug plans among children and youth in Ontario: a time-series analysis.
Article in CMAJ open. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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
5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 6 citations in OpenAlex.
- Fractional Exhaled Nitric Oxide Testing for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma: a Health Technology Assessment.Ontario health technology assessment series · 2024Pooled it
- Universal Pharmacare and Contraceptive Dispensations Among Youth.JAMA pediatrics · 2025Article
- Association between a publicly funded universal drug program and antipsychotic and antidepressant medication dispensing to children.BMC pediatrics · 2025Article
- Cost-effectiveness of the top 100 drugs by public spending in Canada, 2015-2021: a repeated cross-sectional study.BMJ open · 2024Article
- Public-private partnership alternative for a national pharmacare program in Canada.Journal of pharmaceutical policy and practice · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
7 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundIn 2018, Ontario implemented a pharmacare program (Ontario Health Insurance Plan Plus [OHIP+]) to provide children and youth younger than 25 years with full coverage for prescription medications in the provincial formulary. We aimed to assess the use of public drug plans and costs of publicly covered prescriptions before and after the program's implementation and modification.
methodsWe conducted a population-based, interrupted time-series analysis using data on prescription drug claims, from the Canadian Institute for Health Information's National Prescription Drug Utilization Information System, for people younger than 25 years from January 2016 to October 2019 in Ontario, using British Columbia as the control. We assessed changes in the level and trend of publicly covered prescriptions and expenditures after the introduction of OHIP+ in January 2018 and after program modifications in April 2019. We also assessed plan use and expenditures for publicly covered prescriptions for diabetes and asthma.
resultsPublicly covered prescriptions in Ontario increased by 290%, from 756 per 1000 people before OHIP+ to 2952 per 1000 (
interpretationAdopting OHIP+ increased use of public drug plans and expenditures for publicly funded prescription medicines, and the program modification was associated with decreases in both outcomes. This study's findings can inform the national pharmacare debate; future research should investigate associations with health outcomes.
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Registered trials
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