Interprovincial Variation in Access to Publicly Funded Pharmaceuticals A Review Based on the WHO Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical Classification System

Introduction:Government-funded drug programs provide prescription medications for many Canadian residents, including senior citizens and social assistance recipients. Pharmaceuticals available for beneficiaries are typically listed in federal, provincial, and territorial formularies. We analyzed six Canadian drug formularies (for the provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Ontario, and Quebec) and report the extent of interprovincial variation in Canadians' access to publicly funded pharmaceuticals at the chemical subgroup (CSG) level of the World Health Organization Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (WHO ATC) classification system.Methods:A database profiling provincial formulary listings of CSGs was compiled to enable a cross-sectional analysis of drug benefits at a clinically meaningful level. The comprehensiveness of provincial drug reimbursement plans was evaluated in a quantitative comparison of CSGs. Therapeutic distribution of CSGs within anatomical main groups of the WHO ATC ...