Costly prescriptions are forcing many Canadians to go without medical treatment, says study 

Medication on a shelf. (File photo)

One in 20 Canadians are opting out of continuing their medications because they can’t afford the prescription costs, new research has found.

The findings from the University of British Columbia study are based on surveys from over 223,000 people from Canada aged 12-and-older.

The findings, published online by the university Nov. 26, were supported by cycles of the Canadian Community Health Survey from 2015-2020, alongside earlier research by the study’s co-author, UBC professor Dr. Michael Law.

Researchers found five per cent of those surveyed skipped doses, delayed refilling their prescriptions or didn’t fill them at all because they couldn’t afford to.

“Affordability challenges in Canada don’t stop at groceries, they extend to vital medications,” said the study’s senior author Dr. Mary De Vera, an associate professor at UBC’s faculty of pharmaceutical sciences.

“This study sheds light on how personal, health and systemic factors intersect to affect prescription adherence,” she said.

The study found women were 44 per cent more likely to reduce or go without medication than men, likely due to them having to balance other priorities like their careers and caregiving at home.

Women typically earning less than their male counterparts also contributed to them having less means to pay, De Vera added.

The younger demographic were noted to be more likely to skip prescriptions for cost-saving measures, with young adults aged between 18 and 34 nine times more likely to forgo medication than those aged 75 or older.

Visible minorities reported skipping or reducing medication at a higher rate - 20 to 67 percentage points more - than their white counterparts.

According to the study, rates were “disproportionately high” among gay or lesbian respondents, who were 16 percentage points more likely to skip medical treatment, while bisexual, pansexual and questioning respondents were 25 percentage points more likely, the study found.

Geographically, those living in Quebec, a region with one of Canada’s most robust provincial drug insurance programs, were found to be the least likely to be bothered by medication costs, the study found.

Lead author Dr. Nevena Rebić said researchers hope the information will help shape the federal government’s national pharmacare framework, following the passage of the Bill C-64, also known as the Pharmacare Act, in October.

“As policymakers work toward implementing pharmacare, we hope our findings will inform public drug coverage plans and reduce cost barriers,” she said.

“This is especially urgent as financial and demographic pressures continue to challenge Canada’s healthcare system.”