Canadian Public Drug Plans Rank in the Bottom Third of OECD Countries

Report Findings will Surprise Canadians

OTTAWA, Nov. 2 /CNW/ - Despite ranking in the top 10 in both GDP per capita and percent of GDP spent on health, Canada ranks 23^rd out of 29 OECD countries in terms of public plan coverage of new medicines, is the conclusion of the annual Rx&D International Report on Access to Medicines 2009-10 (IRAM).

Now in its 4^th year, the IRAM is the world's most comprehensive look at patient access and public coverage of new medicines within Canada and how we compare to other OECD countries.

"These findings will surprise Canadians. The IRAM Report reveals that less affluent countries than Canada are finding ways to provide greater access to innovative medicines through their public drug plans," said Russell Williams, President of Rx&D. "Our offer is to work with governments and other health care providers to promote innovation as a tool to improve patient health and build a more sustainable health care system."

Rx&D International Report on Access to Medicines 2009-10 (IRAM)

The IRAM Report examines patient access to and public coverage of 150 innovative prescription medicines, including 33 cancer drugs and 117 medicines for a range of other diseases.

Findings include:

• Canada ranks 23^rd of the 29 countries for the 150 drugs included in the Report and remains far behind the OECD average, now ranking ahead of only Poland, New Zealand, Luxemburg, Spain, Japan and Turkey.
• When looking only at the Common Drug Review positive recommendation rate of non-cancer drugs (n=117), Canada's rank has fallen from 20^th out of 25 last year to 22^nd out of 29 countries this year, between Luxembourg and Turkey. Factoring in how public plans in Canada reimburse these same non-cancer drugs, Canada's ranking is actually lower (24^th out of 29 countries).
• In terms of oncology drugs (n=33) Canada is ranked 15^th out of 29 OECD countries. Canada ranks 19^th out of 29 when looking at the 22 oncology drugs reviewed by the Joint Oncology Drug Review (JODR) (n=22).  Just over 55% of new cancer drugs reviewed by JODR are covered by Canadian public drug plans compared to an average of 65% in the other OECD countries.
• Last year, Canada ranked 21 out of 25 countries when it came to reimbursing First-in-Class drugs. Canada now ranks 26 out of 29 countries ahead of only Luxemburg, New Zealand and Poland. 
• Diabetes has been called an "economic tsunami" forecasted to cost the Canadian economy 17 $ billion per year by 2020. Research has provided effective new treatments that help patients control diabetes, but the IRAM report shows that Canada's public drug plans cover 42% of the recent treatments compared to an international average of 97%.

Public Drug Plans

Public drug plans are a key element of healthcare systems. They were designed to provide patients, especially senior citizens and lower income families, with access to the most appropriate treatments to prevent and treat a wide range of illnesses. With factors such as an aging population and substantial increase in the prevalence of chronic disease, innovative medicines are pivotal to improve health outcomes and relieve pressure on the health care system.

The Report Methodology

The Report was undertaken for Rx&D by Wyatt Health Management, one of Canada's leading pharmaceutical health policy firms. Wyatt Health Management provides analysis for governments, non-government organizations and industrial sectors about the latest trends in pharmaceuticals and health care. Data was collected from public sources and then validated with public drug plan officials.

About Rx&D

Rx&D is the association of leading research-based pharmaceutical companies dedicated to improving the health of Canadians through the discovery and development of new medicines and vaccines. Our community represents 15,000 men and women working for 50 member companies and invests more than $1 billion in research and development each year to fuel Canada's knowledge-based economy. Guided by our Code of Ethical Practices, our membership is committed to working in partnership with governments, healthcare professionals and stakeholders in a highly ethical manner.

To view the report, please visit www.patientscomefirst.ca

For further information:

David Rodier, Hill & Knowlton
Canada Direct Line: 613-786-9945
Cell: 613-371-9834
[email protected]