By Rajitha Sivakumaran
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P
rescription drugs form an essential
part of Canada’s health-care system.
In 2015, more than 500 million pre-
scriptions were filled across the nation,
costing about $30 billion. Twenty years
ago, only a quarter of this amount was
spent on prescription drugs. This sector of
the health-care market has grown rapidly,
but the number of Canadians neglecting
their medication due to issues of afford-
ability has grown as well. Over three mil-
lion Canadians are presently uninsured or
have inadequate coverage. For those with
insurance coverage, deductibles and co-
payments pose financial difficulties. Twen-
ty-two per cent of all drug costs come out
of pocket, making our prescription drug
2
business elite canada
H
JUNE 2016
