After the United States, Canadians pay the highest costs per capita for prescription drugs ($771), which is 55% more than the average for OECD countries ($498). There are two reasons for that difference with the other OECD countries: 1 we pay more for the same drugs (since the fragmentation of plans reduces bargaining power); 2 the private plans lead to a logic of waste where all products are reimbursed, regardless of their therapeutic value. See the full article here.
In an article published October 17 in Policy Options, entitled “Federal Elections and Prescription Drugs: A Grade Report,” Gagnon analyzes proposals from five federal parties on prescription drug reform:
Canada and the United States are the only two OECD countries that do not provide public coverage to enable access to prescription drugs for the entire population. The fragmentation of drug insurance plans between private and provincial public plans has led to an incoherent system where waste and the interplay of corporate interests are prevalent.