Posted by Michael Wonder on 29 Oct 2020
Sales of cancer fighting drugs soared in Canada over the past decade
29 October 2020 - Canada is the only country with a universal health care system without coverage for prescription drugs.
Sales of medications to treat cancer have nearly tripled in Canada over the past decade, reaching $3.9 billion last year, a report by a federal agency says.
The Patented Medicine Prices Review Board has released data showing cancer medications account for about 15 per cent of all spending on pharmaceuticals.
"In 2019, medicines with 28 day treatment costs exceeding $7,500 made up 43% of private plan oncology drug costs, compared with 17% in 2010," says the report by the board, which aims to protect consumers by ensuring manufacturers aren't charging excessive prices for patented medications.
