As Canada considers national pharma-care, Dr. Shikha Gupta has recently highlighted the special situation of people with disabilities regarding the cost of prescription drugs. Using a national sample of 160 people with spinal cord injuries, she has shown that despite having insurance for prescriptions drugs, out-of-pocket costs, like co-payments, dispensing fees and deductibles, are 5x higher than the national average. These costs can amount to hundreds or even thousands of dollars a month. Furthermore, they are layered on top of other health- and disability-related costs, such as adaptive equipment, mobility aids, or continence supplies.
See below to learn more about Dr. Shikha Gupta, and her latest research.
Gupta, S., McColl, M.A., Smith, K., & Guilcher, SJT. (2020) Prescription medication cost, insurance coverage, and cost-related nonadherence among people with spinal cord injury in Canada. Spinal Cord. 58(5):587-595. doi:10.1038/s41393-019-0406-x
Gupta, S., McColl, M. A., Guilcher, S., & Smith, K. (2019). Managing Medication Cost Burden: A Qualitative Study Exploring Experiences of People with Disabilities in Canada. International journal of environmental research and public health, 16(17), 3066. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16173066
Gupta, S., McColl, M. A., Guilcher, S. J., & Smith, K. (2018). Cost-related nonadherence to prescription medications in Canada: a scoping review. Patient preference and adherence, 12, 1699–1715. https://doi.org/10.2147/PPA.S170417