Health Sciences 3400A/B Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Psychoactive Drug, Canada Health Act, Canadian Mental Health Association

• School: Western University
• Department: Health Sciences
• Course: Health Sciences 3400A/B
• Professor: Kathleen Gamble

Document Summary

Phar(cid:373)a(cid:272)euti(cid:272)als pla(cid:455) a(cid:374) i(cid:373)porta(cid:374)t role i(cid:374) people(cid:859)s health a(cid:374)d are a(cid:374) i(cid:373)portant part of any health system: they save lives, prevent the spread of disease and improve the quality of life of some patients. Various interactions between the pharmaceutical industry, the federal and provincial governments and consumers have shaped the current landscape for prescription drugs in canada. One key failing of the system is that the federal government is almost completely insulated from the impact of its policies because, although it regulates drug prices, it does not buy any drugs. In contrast, provincial governments have no jurisdiction over market competitiveness or pricing, yet end up paying for most of the drug expenditures incurred. New pharmaceuticals play an increasingly important role in the provision of health care and next to hospital costs, spending on drugs is the largest category of health care expenditure in canada. The call to establish a national pharmacare program was sounded in 1997 by the.