Out-of-pocket spending on drugs and pharmaceutical products and cost-related prescription non-adherence among Canadians with chronic disease

摘要

Previous research has identified factors associated with cost-related prescription non-adherence (including out-of-pocket spendingNote 12Note 23), but no Canadian study has examined the relationship between the level of out-of-pocket spending and the likelihood of cost-related non-adherence. North American studies on health care expenditures overall (including prescription medications) have used an out-of-pocket threshold of 10% of income to indentify high-spending households.Note 12Note 24 In Canada, the 2002 Kirby Report recommended that households pay no more than 3% of their after-tax income for prescription medications,Note 25 although this level was not empirically associated with a higher likelihood of cost-related non-adherence. While a cut-point for high out-of-pocket spending on medications has not been identified, national agencies currently use 5% of household income as a health indicator.