Universal drug coverage would save billions of dollars according to a report in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.
The C-M-A came up with a list of 117 essential medicines that accounted for 44% of all prescriptions and 30% of total prescription drug expenditures in 2015. The savings from these 117 essential medicines being covered are estimated at $4.27 billion a year.
Average prices of the generic essential medicines were 47% lower in the U.S., 60% lower in Sweden and 84% lower in New Zealand.
