Author: Brett J Skinner, Ph.D.
In Canada, the cost of patented drugs is often cited to justify government intervention in pharmaceutical markets including price regulation, monopsony drug purchasing, restricting insured access to new medicines; nationalizing drug insurance, and rejecting international trade standards for the protection of pharmaceutical related intellectual property rights. This study assesses the actual economic burden of spending on patented drugs in Canada relative to population, general price inflation, GDP and other healthcare costs. It empowers Canadian patients and taxpayers with the evidence they need to assess whether government intervention in pharmaceutical markets is justified.
