In 2021, over one in every five (21%) adults in Canada reported not having any prescription insurance to cover medication costs. This lack of coverage sometimes meant delaying or skipping doses because of an inability to afford medication or paying higher out-of-pocket costs.
For example, non-adherence to prescription because of cost was reported by 17% of people without prescription insurance coverage, almost 2.5 times higher than those with coverage (7%). Also, those without insurance coverage who took or were prescribed medication ended up spending more out-of-pocket, with 27% spending $500 or more over the year preceding the survey compared with 16% with insurance coverage.
These findings are from a new study released today entitled Pharmaceutical access and use during the pandemic. The study offers insight into potential inequities in access to pharmaceuticals in Canada. This study uses data from the 2021 Survey on Access to Health Care and Pharmaceuticals During the Pandemic to examine pharmaceutical access and use across regions and sociodemographic groups.
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