To monitor the magnitude of the drug shortage problem in Canada, since 2017, Health Canada has required manufacturers to report drug shortages. This study aimed to identify the factors associated with drug shortages in Canada.
The clinical trial landscape for Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) is radically different from that of previous epidemics. Compared with H1N1, Ebola, and Zika, COVID-19 had an order of magnitude more clinical trials within the first 3 months following the declaration of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). These trials have started much faster, are more geographically…
The scarcity of novel antibiotic compounds in a time of increasing resistance rates has begun to ring alarm bells at the highest echelons of government. Large new financial incentives to accelerate antibiotic research and development, such as market entry rewards (MERs), are being considered. However, there is little focus on how to sustain the efficacy of new, promising antibiotics…
Impact of isolation precautions on psychological wellbeing of patients has yet to be fully quantified. To assess the impact of isolation precautions on patients' health-related quality of life and depression or anxiety scales and estimate per day cost of anxiety and depression. Literature pertaining to impact of isolation precautions was searched on EMBASE and PubMed databases…
To examine the association between individual-level deprivation and health-related quality of life (HRQL) in the general population.
Overconsumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) contributes to childhood and adult obesity and numerous related diseases, including heart disease, strokes, cancers, and type 2 diabetes. It also increases healthcare costs. Sugary drink taxes have been implemented in several countries to curb sugar intake. However, there is a concern that sugary drink taxes are regressive. This…
The objective of this study, published in the International Journal of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, was to describe the trends in pharmacologic treatment for patients newly diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in Alberta, Canada.
Canada recently entered into two multinational trade agreements (i.e., the Canada, United States, and Mexico Trade Agreement; and the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement with the European Union). The resulting federal policy changes will prolong periods of market protection afforded to eligible brand-name prescription drugs by extending competition-blocking patent and data…
| Aidan Hollis
A common narrative is that high prices are necessary for "orphan drugs" because of the fewer patients. In the context of state health insurance systems, the high prices create significant challenges because of limited budgets.
This study, published in PharmacoEconomics – Open, reports exploratory analysis of the provincial and nationwide costs of industry-sponsored drug clinical trials (CTs) in Canada. The costs of industry-sponsored drug CTs completed in 2016 were Can$2.1 billion. In addition to the creation of knowledge, these trials play an important role in alleviating the healthcare cost burden…
OBJECTIVES: To examine the resource use and healthcare costs for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in Alberta, Canada between 2008 and 2016 and model the future costs to 2030.
The aim of this study is to describe how generic preference?based health?related quality of life (HRQoL) instruments have been used in research involving children with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD).
Purpose: Growing up with a sibling with a neurodevelopmental disorder can have positive and negative effects on personal, social and emotional well-being; however, little is known about the impacts on unaffected siblings’ quality of life. The purpose of this review was to synthesize evidence from studies evaluating the quality of life of unaffected siblings of children with…
The EQ-5D-5 L and the SF-12 are the most commonly used generic measures of health-related quality of life among people with arthritis. However, there is little evidence on the extent to which the individual dimensions and domains of these instruments perform among this population. The objective was to examine the discriminative validity of the EQ-5D-5 L and the SF-12…
Most pharmaceutical expenditure in Canada is private. In 2017, Canadian provincial, territorial and federal governments were reported to have spent $14.5 billion on pharmaceuticals, accounting for only 43% of total pharmaceutical expenditure.1 A combination of private insurance and patient expenditures in the form of direct payment for pharmaceuticals, deductibles and other…
High orphan drug prices have gained the attention of payers and policy makers. These prices may reflect the need to recoup the cost of drug development from a small patient pool. However, estimates of the cost of orphan drug development are sparse.
Since 2000, 5 studies have been published that each purported to estimate aggregate national mental health costs in Canada. Each of these studies used a different method. Our aim was to compare the studies, and we created a framework for the different elements used to assess mental health costs (direct costs, indirect costs, transfer payments, and “human” costs). In…
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is a preventable disorder caused by maternal alcohol consumption and marked by a range of physical and mental disabilities. Although recognized by the scientific and medical community as a clinical disorder, no internationally standardized diagnostic tool yet exists for FASD.
Using sources ranging from the biblical Book of Judges (pre-1700) up until the first public health bulletin (1977), we seek to provide an overview of the academic debate around early historical accounts ostensibly attributed to the awareness of alcohol as a prenatal teratogen as well as to describe the social and political influences that sculpted developments leading to the public…
Early detection of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) enables access to early interventions for children. We assess the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ)’s ability to identify children with a NDD in population data.
Simulation-based medical education (SBME) is now ubiquitous at all levels of medical training. Given the substantial resources needed for SBME, economic evaluation of simulation-based programmes or curricula is required to demonstrate whether improvement in trainee performance (knowledge, skills and attitudes) and health outcomes justifies the cost of investment. Current literature…
Discrete choice experiments are increasingly used to assess preferences for vaccines and vaccine service delivery. We conducted a systematic review of six electronic databases. Included studies were discrete choice experiments and conjoint analyses published from 2000 to 2016 related to childhood/adolescent vaccines where respondents were parents, children/adolescents, or service…
In pharmaceutical clinical trials, industrial sponsors pay for study drugs and related healthcare services. We conducted a study to determine industry’s economic contribution of these trials to the Alberta healthcare system.
| Aidan Hollis
Following lengthy negotiations with the European Union (EU), Canada enacted Bill C-30 to implement the ‘Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement’ in 2016 [1]. A particularly important part of that legislation involved the treatment of pharmaceutical exclusivity and the process of litigation between patentees and generic firms. This paper reviews the likely impact…
Economic evaluation is a tool used to inform decision makers on the efficiency of comparative healthcare interventions and inform resource allocation decisions. There is a growing need for the use of economic evaluations to assess the value of interventions for children with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), a population that has increasing demands for healthcare services. Unfortunately,…
An increasing number of family service agencies and community-based mental health service providers are implementing a single-session walk-in counselling (SSWIC) as an alternative to traditional counselling. However, few economic evaluations have been undertaken.
Cost is a critical element in almost all public or private decisions regarding health care and human services. While cost as “opportunity cost” is straightforward on a conceptual level, making the concept operational, quantifying costs and integrating such information into decision analysis is a continuing challenge. An IHE conference, “On the State of the Art…