After having a chance to digest the parliamentary budget officer’s report projecting that a universal pharmacare program could represent $4.2 billion in savings for Canada, some believe it’s time to end the debate and take action. Elizabeth Kwan, a senior researcher at the Canadian Labour Congress, certainly believes so. “We need an all-out, all-Canadian effort to put […]
While a Patented Medicine Prices Review Board hearing panel has ordered Alexion Pharmaceuticals Inc. to lower the price of the drug Soliris, it has rejected a bid by the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association to make the company reimburse private payers for the overcharges. “Employers have borne the brunt of the overly high pricing, so […]
Sun Life Financial will be offering plan members on short- and long-term disability leave for depression or anxiety the chance to take part in a study on the impact of pharmacogenetic testing. The insurer is participating in a study that examines the effectiveness of the technology in partnership with the Centre for Addiction and Mental […]
Ontario is joining Alberta and New Brunswick in making abortion pill Mifegymiso available at no cost to the public. The abortion pill first became available in Canada in January 2017 at a cost of about $300. This spring, the common drug review recommended public drug coverage for Mifegymiso. “We continue to make important progress helping women across […]
Quebec has reached an agreement with the Canadian Generic Pharmaceutical Association to lower drug costs by $1.5 billion over five years, thereby putting an end to the province’s plans to issue tenders for generic drugs. The new agreement will take effect on Oct. 1, 2017, with costs savings coming from price discounts and the launch […]
Green Shield Canada is rolling out a new pharmacy rating system in October 2017. The insurer’s program will measure individual pharmacies’ performance and provide feedback to help them gain insight into what they’re already doing well and areas where there’s room for improvement, according to a news release. Green Shield will supply all pharmacies across the […]
As technology and heightened customer expectations spur demand for change in life and health benefits, the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association is aiming to be “proactive and lead the discussion” on significant issues facing the industry, according to its new president and chief executive officer. There are many questions about big data, says Stephen Frank, […]
The Canadian Generic Pharmaceutical Association is urging Quebec to abandon its plan to issue tenders for generic drugs. The provincial government’s plan represents a risky tendering scheme that could have negative repercussions for the pharmaceutical industry by threatening the supply of generic drugs and indirectly harming the economy, according to a statement by association president Jim […]
Quebec’s long-awaited move to ask drug manufacturers to bid for exclusive supply contracts for generic prescription drugs should help private benefit plans, according to an expert on drug pricing. “I expect private plans to benefit [from this move],” says John-Paul Dowson, managing director at Roubaix Strategies Inc. That’s because, according to Dowson, Quebec law prevents selling drugs […]
The Reformulary Group has introduced an early warning system that aims to help plan administrators and employers monitor and prepare for new-high cost drugs. The system evaluates new high-cost prescription drugs entering the marketplace and forecasts the expected impact of those drugs to insurance carriers, third-party administrators and employers. Read: Public drug plans’ medication spending […]