Pharmaceutical care

Pharmaceutical care jtseng_master

Prescribed drugs, including safe and effective medicines and vaccines, are used to treat, prevent and lessen the impact of ailments and conditions.

CIHI collects data and information on the use, cost and safety of prescribed drugs in Canada. Public drug claims data is collected through claims accepted by publicly funded drug programs, either for reimbursement or to be applied toward a deductible. In some jurisdictions, data is collected on all drugs dispensed in community pharmacies, regardless of payer. Data on drugs dispensed in hospitals or those funded through cancer agencies and other special programs is not currently captured.

CIHI also collects information on drug safety related to potential and actual medication/IV fluid incidents. Explore information on pharmaceutical care, including reports, data tables and other key resources.

Featured material

Pharmaceutical Data Tool

The Pharmaceutical Data Tool enhances access to key pharmaceutical information for analytical and policy needs by providing details about public drug programs and formularies.

Prescribed drug spending in Canada, 2023

Take an in-depth look at prescribed drug spending in Canada in 2022 and learn about how different drug classes contribute to current trends in total public drug program spending.

Overuse of tests and treatments in Canada

​Expanding on our 2017 report, this follow-up from CIHI and Choosing Wisely Canada examines progress on overuse of 12 tests and treatments and provides insights for continued improvements.

Changes in drug prescribing to seniors in Canada

Results (2017 to 2021) on the total number and types of drugs most commonly prescribed to seniors in Canada, plus a summary of key findings, including changes in prescribing due to COVID-19.

Pharmaceutical care: Reports and releases

Pharmaceutical care: Reports and releases jtseng_master

This page lists pharmaceutical care reports, stories, infographics and release summaries.

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Pan-Canadian Prescription Drug Data Landscape (PDF)

This report summarizes information about prescription drug data in Canada (assets, needs, gaps, limitations and opportunities) by jurisdiction.

Prescribed drug spending in Canada, 2023

Take an in-depth look at prescribed drug spending in Canada in 2022 and learn about how different drug classes contribute to current trends in total public drug program spending.

National health expenditure trends

An overview of Canadian health spending trends, featuring comparative expenditure data at provincial, territorial and international levels.

Overuse of tests and treatments in Canada

​Expanding on our 2017 report, this follow-up from CIHI and Choosing Wisely Canada examines progress on overuse of 12 tests and treatments and provides insights for continued improvements.

Prescribed drug spending in Canada, 2022

​​Take an in-depth look at prescribed drug spending in Canada in 2021 and learn about how different drug classes contribute to current trends in total public drug program spending.

Trends in public drug program spending in Canada

​​Highlights of public drug program spending in Canada in 2021, including top drug classes, spending on high-cost drugs and spending on biologic drugs.

Changes in drug prescribing to seniors in Canada

Results (2017 to 2021) on the total number and types of drugs most commonly prescribed to seniors in Canada, plus a summary of key findings, including changes in prescribing due to COVID-19.

Pharmaceutical care: Data tables

Pharmaceutical care: Data tables jtseng_master

This page lists data tables that provide information about pharmaceutical care.

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Pharmaceutical care: Indicators

Pharmaceutical care: Indicators jtseng_master

This page lists CIHI’s pharmaceutical care indicators.

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Pharmaceutical care: Tools

Pharmaceutical care: Tools jtseng_master

This page lists CIHI’s performance reporting tools that contain pharmaceutical care data.

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Drug programs

An overview of public drug programs in Canada, including who qualifies for coverage and what is covered.

Formulary coverage

A list of the drugs and products that are covered by public drug programs in Canada.

Markup policies

Guidelines for the amount pharmacies can add to the cost of a drug or ingredient.

Pharmaceutical Data Tool

The Pharmaceutical Data Tool enhances access to key pharmaceutical information for analytical and policy needs by providing details about public drug programs and formularies.

Professional fees

The amount paid for pharmacists’ services.

Quick Stats

Quick Stats are a series of free, publicly available reports that provide aggregate-level data about health care in Canada.

Pharmaceutical care: Data holdings

Pharmaceutical care: Data holdings jtseng_master

This page contains information about CIHI’s pharmaceutical care data holdings. 

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Pharmaceutical care: News and podcasts

Pharmaceutical care: News and podcasts jtseng_master

This page contains media releases, bulletins and podcast episodes about pharmaceutical care.

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Pharmaceutical care: Education resources

Pharmaceutical care: Education resources jtseng_master

Through our Learning Centre, CIHI provides opportunities for health professionals to understand our evolving reporting systems and the application of our standards, data and analytics. We offer many courses and resources for a variety of audiences, including clinicians, assessors, data submitters and analysts, decision-makers, policy planners and researchers.

Courses and resources are available in a variety of formats, including eLearning modules, PDF and page-based documents, live and recorded web conferences, and videos.

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With 300 learning products in a variety of areas, we’re sure to have something that meets your needs — and our online courses will always fit your schedule.

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Other education resources

Resources offered through CIHI include the following:

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Case mix

Case-mix grouping methodologies help health care facilities plan and manage their services.