Prescriptions Skyrocket Case Analysis

The utilization of prescription drugs has increased across all age groups in the US, with 50% of Americans taking at least one prescription drug (Rice & Unruh, 2016). This can be attributed to physician-induced demand, substitution of pharmaceuticals for other medical regimens, commercialization of the products, increase in the aging population and drug insurance coverage, and also the increase in chronic conditions. Lathan discusses the startling fact that the rate increase of prescription drugs purchased was considerably higher in contrast to the US population growth - 71% and 9% respectively (Rice & Unruh, 2016, p. 264).

As we advance in our healthcare system and continue to find cure for the deadly diseases we are also faced with prescription drug prices rising much faster than they were a few years back. Drug prices are increasing at an unmaintainable rate without any sign of reduction. People who are heavily affected by this rise are mostly elderly citizens and also the poor of this country because they can barely afford these expenses. These people either have no money to pay for their copays or no health insurances at all.

There is broad evidence that Americans often do not get the care they need even though the United States spends more money per person on health care than any other nation in the world. Preventive care is underutilized, resulting in higher spending on complex, advanced diseases. Patients with chronic diseases such as hypertension, heart disease, and diabetes all too often do not receive proven and effective treatments such as drug therapies or self management services to help them more effectively manage their conditions.

The passage of the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Act will also inadvertently increase access to many types of medications for individuals who qualify for Medicare Part D. There is a clause within the bill that would establish rebates to be paid by pharmaceutical companies for low-income beneficiaries. These rebates, in addition to lowered costs, would considerably lessen the financial burden placed on low-income beneficiaries. This will allow more individuals greater access to expensive medications. As an example, each year, financial reasons hinder about 16% of diabetic Part D beneficiaries from filling at least one of their prescriptions (Williams, Steers, Ettner, Mangione, & Duru, 2013). This increase in access will help mitigate the occurrence of cost-related nonadherence to prescription medications, and other such consequences

The Canadian government must implement an equitable national pharmacare program in which medically necessary prescription drugs are covered

Medicare in Canada is a government-funded universal health insurance program established by legislation passed in 1957, 1966 and 1984 (Canada, 2012). Openly funded and administered, comprehensive, accessible hospital and medical services insurance plan has a much longer and more complex history than simply the politics of creating a federal–provincial–territorial shared-cost agreement. This viewpoint was challenged by those who stated that individuals must take responsibility for their own and their family’s health care needs through private, prepaid insurance plans, and that the government should underwrite the costs for those who could not afford such benefits Canada, 2012). In contrast to the United States, where Medicare is restricted to

Canada’s health care system “can be described as a publicly-funded, privately-provided, universal, comprehensive, affordable, single-payer, provincially administered national health care system” (Bernard, 1992, p.103). Health care in Canada is provincial responsibility, with the Canada Health act being a federal legislation (Bernard, 1992, p. 102). Federal budget cuts, has caused various problems within Medicare such as increased waiting times and lack of new technology. Another problem with Medicare is that The Canada Heath Act does not cover expenditures for prescriptions drugs. All these issue has caused individuals to suggest making Medicare privatized. Although, Canada’s health care system consists of shortcomings, our universal

f Health Care in Canada focuses on how the health care system in Canada was once viewed and how it is viewed today. Medicare was transformed throughout the years and this article describes what has gone wrong in the system. The author explains the culture of the Canadian health care system and how it is divided between two governments: the federal government and the provincial government. The author explains the issue of privatization in the Canadian health care system and details the three factors that have contributed to the issue. These factors include: the ethical basis, the extensive government reinvestments have not helped the system, and the increase in new forms of privatization. The article debates whether new forms of privatization are improving or worsening the current Medicare system and summarizes what the future of Medicare holds for the Canadian health care system.

In this essay, federal drug policy, and its correlation with the shortage of drugs in Canada, will be considered. In particular, the disruption of drug supply will be considered, with a specific focus on drug supply within the province of Ontario. A discussion will ensue surrounding drug pricing and policy, and the ways in which these frameworks can ultimately serve to affect the efficacy of medical treatment and the safety of patients. Finally, the paper will focus on the accountability of multiple stakeholders, at both the federal and provincial levels, in terms of supplying medically necessary drugs to Canadians. This analysis will encompass the dominant role played by pharmaceutical actors in Canada. Finally, conclusions will be drawn

Kirby’s (2002) proposal calls for the federal government to pay for 90% of a person’s prescription drug expenses that exceed $5 000 of out-of-pocket and provincial monies combined (Chapter 7, pp. 9-10). There would also be a personal spending cap of 3% of the individual’s total family income (Kirby, 2002, chapter 7, p.9). Private insurances are also accounted for via formulas that give a patient either a rebate or may deny a person government assistance depending on their drug costs.

The foundation of Canada’s universal health care system was laid during the Great Depression, when national health insurance was initially proposed; it was refined when bills were passed during World War II to implement national insurance and finally found fruition when Saskatchewan first covered health care expenses for its entire population in 1947 (LeBien, 1996). This recognition that the social need for health care services and coverage was more important than any potential profits that could be made from providing such services led to the Federal government to begin work on a national plan (Armstrong, et al., 2000, p. 12). By 1961, the entire country had comprehensive insurance that covered all essential medical services. The Canada Health Act was enacted in 1984, and all of Canada was mandated to provide medical coverage based on universality, portability between provinces, comprehensive coverage, public administration and accessibility (Joudrey & Robson, 2010, p. 530). Canada did not assume full control of costs for providing the implemented coverage; rather they provided 50% funding, thus matching provincial costs (LeBien, 1996). Concerns around rising medical costs due to an aging population in the late 1980’s, led the government to commission a policy review by two economists, Drs. Barer and Stoddart (Beck & Thompson, 2006). The Barer-Stoddart report stated that“…provinces should review

The rise in costs of prescription medicines affects all sectors of the health care industry, including private insurers, public programs, and patients. Spending on prescription drugs continues to be an important health care concern, particularly in light of rising pharmaceutical costs, the aging population, and increased use of costly specialty drugs. In recent history, increases in prescription drug costs have outpaced other categories of health care spending, rising rapidly throughout the latter half of the 1990s and early 2000s. (Kaiseredu.org, 2012).

Prescription drug prices rose three times faster than inflation in the decade between 1981 and 1991, making the pharmaceutical industry the nation's most profitable business. Prescription drugs even exceeded the rapidly rising inflation rate for all other medical services. They now represent at least 10% of all the medical

Under the Canada Health Act (CHA) every Canadian is covered under a health insurance plan based on 13 interlocking provincial and territorial health insurance plans. Canada’s national health insurance program, often referred to as “Medicare”, is designed to ensure that all residents have reasonable access to medically necessary hospital and physician services, on a prepaid basis.The implementation of the original vision of Medicare has not been accomplished in present times. Canadians are concerned about the state of Medicare due to waiting times for family doctor appointments, emergency room service, specialist appointments, and surgery. Our federal, provincial and territorial government could consider many strategies in order to ensure

This paper looks into a proposal on the introduction of a universal pharmaceutical policy or pharmacare in Canada. Canada is a country that has a global reputation of offering a successful healthcare to its populations. The Canadians enjoys free healthcare facilities because when they get sick they just need to visit the hospital or their doctors even when they do not have money. The government funds for the universal health policy by use of government revenues. The government gets the funds to pay the policies through taxation of Canadians who are well-off. Most Canadians especially the ordinary Canadians have benefited from the universal healthcare as it has increased their accessibility to health services (Fierlbeck, 2011).