Drug Consumption Trends for 2024

You’ve probably heard different drugs becoming popular for certain things lately. In recent years, there have been several trends and innovations in drug consumption across the country.

In this article, with the help of one of our insurance carriers, we will go through the different trends, and what they mean, as well as the future trends to look out for.

Let’s discuss Ozempic® for diabetes.

The pharmaceutical landscape has been flipped upside down lately with the arrival of Ozempic® and the popularity of the drug. Ozempic® belongs to the GLP-1 receptor agonist therapeutic class, which includes several drugs designed to control blood sugar levels in adults with type 2 diabetes.

While this drug has become popular with the treatment of type 2 diabetes, the efficacy of the drug stimulating insulin secretion has not gone unnoticed. This means that this drug could contribute to weight loss. However, it’s important to note that using this drug for weight loss is not a Health Canada approved indication for the drug.

Reimbursement of Ozempic® remains reserved only for people with diabetes within a benefits plan.

How to treat obesity.

While Ozempic® isn’t accepted by Health Canada for obesity, there are several drugs that are. Did you know that obesity is officially considered a chronic disease? With this official declaration, we believe that we will be seeing a stronger want for anti-obesity drugs within benefits plans as well as an increase in claims for these drugs.

Some of the accepted drugs by Health Canada are Wegovy®, Saxenda®, Contrave® or Xenical®.

One of the insurance carriers we partner with believes that better access to these drugs can help, limit and avoid, certain diseases like type 2 diabetes. Additionally, it could reduce the need for other drugs and cut the cost of treating cardiovascular disease.

A new drug for cystic fibrosis.

Health Canada recently broadened their authorization criteria for Trikafta®. This is a drug that is used to treat cystic fibrosis. Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an inherited disorder that causes severe damage to the lungs, digestive system and other organs in the body.

While there is no cure for the disease, there are treatments including Trikafta®. The drug is now accepted for use in patients who are 2 and older.

With this new regulation, the number of applicants for this drug are set to rise.

Three trends we’ll be watching and following.

Mental health.

As you know from reading our many articles on mental health, this area of research and discussion is very important to us at Navy & Sage Benefits.

Since the pandemic, we have seen a rise in claims for drugs related to stress, anxiety and depression. The growth in claims have finally slowed, but the consumption of the drugs continues to soar.

Mental health remains an important topic to discuss at work with your employees as well as with your benefits advisor.

Treating Alzheimer’s disease.

One disease that is very common in Canada is Alzheimer’s. As the population ages, the number of people with this illness is expected to rise as well. While there is no curative treatment on the market yet, there are several treatments available to prevent the deterioration of the disease.

Because there are no curative treatments yet, Alzheimer’s disease is a popular area of pharmaceutical research and something we’ll be keeping our eyes on.

National universal drug plan (Pharmacare)

The final thing we’d like to touch on in this article is a national universal drug plan. At the beginning of 2024, the federal Minister of Health introduced Bill C-64. This bill is the first phase of a national universal drug plan. This plan would include a number of contraceptive methods as well as diabetes medications and supplies.

The Government of Canada says this about the contraceptive methods “9 million Canadians of reproductive age will have better access to contraception and reproductive autonomy, reducing the risk of unintended pregnancies and improving their ability to plan for the future. Cost has consistently been identified as the single most important barrier to access to these medications and the cost is unevenly borne by women and gender diverse Canadians. Bill C-64 will ensure that Canadians will have access to a comprehensive suite of contraceptive drugs and devices.”

The Government of Canada says this about diabetes medications and supplies “Improving access to diabetes medications will help improve the health of 3.7 million Canadians living with diabetes and reduce the risk of serious life-changing health complications such as blindness or amputations.”

What this means for benefit plans.

Knowing what drugs are being claimed is important to understand as a plan administrator. It helps you understand what needs your employees have, so you can ensure your plan is sufficiently meeting those needs, while remaining sustainable.

On the note of drugs, it’s critical to encourage your employee live a healthy and active life. Enhancing physical and mental wellness will have a positive impactt on overall health, and it may also reduce the requirement of some of these drugs.

Discuss your benefits plans or disease prevention strategy with one of our benefits advisors today. We still have half of 2024 left to help our employees become the best and healthiest versions of themselves.