Canadian patients may be denied new innovative drugs and other health technologies emerging for the treatment of chronic diseases such as cancer.
costs of health care
“Don’t touch my free health care,” is a common refrain from defenders of the status quo whenever anyone broaches the topic of reforming Canada’s health-care system.
In most places, if you spend more, you receive more in goods or services. The glaring exception is Canada's government-run health care system.
As part of their struggle with budget realities and the growing cost of health care, Canada's provinces continue to work on bulk purchasing agreements for pharmaceuticals as a way to save money. Unfortunately, the recent release from the Council of the Federation (the council of Canada's premiers) suffers from the typical one-sided approach that characterizes much of the drug policy discussion. Yes, there are up front savings to be had. But there's no such thing as a free lunch.