Trebilcock, Ghimire – Alternatives for alternative medicines
From: Michael J. Trebilcock and Kanksha Mahadevia Ghimire To: Canadian health regulators Date: May 9, 2019 Subject: Alternatives for alternative medicines In many Western countries, the use of complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs) has been growing. Individuals often use CAMs in conjunction with biomedicine (also referred to as allopathic or Western medicine), or sometimes choose to rely on CAMs […] William B.P. Robson – Budget Peril Lurks in Revised Health Spending Numbers
To: Canadians concerned about healthcare From: William B.P. Robson Date: May 2, 2019 Re: Budget Peril Lurks in Revised Health Spending Numbers Government spending on health has tended to grow faster than Canada’s economy, raising concerns about the sustainability of our healthcare system. Preliminary estimates of provincial and territorial government spending in the Canadian Institute for Health Information’s annual […] Healthcare Spending Overshoots a Threat to Sustainability
Growth in healthcare spending by provinces and territories has been accelerating over the last four years as governments continue to overshoot their budget targets, says a report from the C.D. Howe Institute. In “Healthcare Spending Overshoots a Threat to Sustainability,” author William B.P. Robson warns that, while governments are typically budgeting growth in healthcare budgets […] Regulating Alternative Medicines: Disorder in the Borderlands
Alternative medicines need risk-based regulation according to a newly released report from the C.D. Howe Institute. In “Regulating Alternative Medicines: Disorder in the Borderlands” authors Michael J. Trebilcock and Kanksha Mahadevia Ghimire recommend regulating certain popular forms of alternative medicine, especially when their use could be life-threatening to patients. Rosalie Wyonch – Assessing the National Pharmacare Report
From: Rosalie Wyonch To: Canadians concerned about pharmacare Date: April 9, 2019 Re: Assessing the National Pharmacare Report Earlier this month, the Advisory Council on the Implementation of National Pharmacare released its interim report with some core principles and foundational elements for a new system. Among the recommendations: create a national drug agency; develop a comprehensive, evidence-based national formulary; and […] Blomqvist, Wyonch – Pharmacare: Not so far now
From: Åke Blomqvist and Rosalie Wyonch To: Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Federal Minister of Health Date: April 01, 2019 Subject: Pharmacare: Not so far now The 2019 federal budget outlined the next steps towards implementing national pharmacare and they make a lot of sense. Much work remains and snags will inevitably arise, but it is now […] Federal budget 2019: On Pharmacare, the Liberals offer big questions and small investments – Globe and Mail Op-Ed
If you were expecting the Liberals to launch a much-anticipated national pharmacare plan as part of its election-year budget, you were likely sorely disappointed. Despite the release of the interim report of the Advisory Council on the Implementation of National Pharmacare earlier this month, and various politicians making various noises about the possibility of such an ambitious proposal, there was almost no new information in the budget about pharmacare, other than new funding that would land years from now. And with important questions left unanswered, provinces and private-insurance companies continue to endure much uncertainty about what the future holds.
Here’s what the budget does provide for: $35 million over 4 years,…
Naugler, Wyonch – How to Improve the Use and Value of Laboratory Testing
From: Christopher Naugler and Rosalie Wyonch To: Canada’s health regulators Subject: How to Improve the Use and Value of Laboratory Testing Date: March 5, 2019 Every Canadian receives an average of about 15 medical laboratory tests per year. Laboratory tests are the most common medical activity and about 70 percent of medical decisions are based on their results. Disconcertingly, […] Åke Blomqvist And Rosalie Wyonch – Is Canada A Free-rider On Pharmaceutical R&D In The Us?
From: Åke Blomqvist and Rosalie Wyonch To: The Hon. Ginette Petitpas Taylor, federal Minister of Health Subject: Is Canada a Free-Rider on Pharmaceutical R&D in the US? Date: March 1, 2019 The main reason why health and general living standards in the world’s developed countries are so much better than in earlier eras is that today’s technology is […] Health and Grades: Nutrition Programs for Kids in Canada
A strategy targeting the most at-risk children is needed to get the most out of school nutrition programs, says a new report from the C.D. Howe Institute. In “Health and Grades: Nutrition Programs for Kids in Canada”, authors Rosalie Wyonch and Abby Sullivan investigate the potential short and long-term impacts of student nutrition programs, including […] Santé et bonne scolarité : Les programmes d’alimentation saine au Canada
À plusieurs endroits au Canada et ailleurs dans le monde, les élèves du primaire et du secondaire ont accès à des aliments nutritifs par le biais de programmes de nutrition en milieu scolaire. Financés par les gouvernements, les entreprises, les fondations et le public, ces programmes sont conçus pour que les enfants d’âge scolaire aient […] High Drug Prices, Big R&D Spenders and “Free Riders”: Canada in the Topsy Turvy World of Pharmaceuticals
Canada is not a “free rider” on drug pricing according to a new report from the C.D. Howe Institute. In “High Drug Prices, Big R&D Spenders and “Free Riders”: Canada in the Topsy Turvy World of Pharmaceuticals”, authors Åke Blomqvist and Rosalie Wyonch find that relative to its peers, Canada does not free ride on […]