Take Control Over Your Health
Find out more about the factors that can affect your treatment options
Older Canadians today are healthier than previous generations. But according to Statistics Canada, four out of five people aged 65 to 79 take at least one prescription drug. For those who require medications to help maintain their health, there is more innovation than ever before.
Only 22% of spending on prescription drugs comes out of our own pockets, according to the Canadian Institute for Health Information. Most of us rely instead on government coverage or private health plans.
But with drug plans, there’s constant pressure to keep costs down. This focus on cost instead of value can restrict our access to newer, groundbreaking medications, even if they happen to be the best choice for us.
A balanced healthcare system should ensure that all Canadians can access treatment. It should, of course, promote healthy habits and prevention of chronic disease. And it should encourage and allow all patients, along with their doctors, to choose the medication that best meets their healthcare needs – the one that’s the most effective or has fewest side effects.
The CARP community agrees. In an online survey made possible with funding from an innovative medicines company, we asked your thoughts about our health care and access to medication. Respondents ranked Canada’s healthcare system above other countries, but noted that we can still strive for improvement, especially as our population ages. Our health care system must provide the greatest value for the money that supports it.
Many echoed this sentiment from one respondent: “I think that all Canadians should have access to the best medical help possible, and especially if they can’t afford it.” Almost two-thirds of CARP members believe that if a national pharmacare program were put in place, it should focus on equal access to the same medications in every province, where provinces negotiate a discounted price based on a bulk purchase. A national pharmacare program “should be like health care now,” wrote one respondent, “wherein [hospitalization for] life-threatening and debilitating illnesses are covered, so the associated drugs should be covered.”
However, CARP members strongly believe they and their physicians, not government or an insurer, should be free to choose the medication that is right for them. More than a few CARP members didn’t feel informed enough on these issues. And yet upcoming new directions in healthcare could affect your options. Here’s what you need to know.