Access to cancer drugs in Canada: looking beyond coverage decisions.

OBJECTIVE

To examine variation in patients' access to a set of cancer drugs through publicly funded provincial drug programs.

DATA SOURCES/STUDY DESIGN: We surveyed provincial drug program managers about their highest-expenditure intravenous and oral cancer drugs. We then investigated whether the same cancer drugs account for the highest expenditures across the provincial programs. We also compared the rates at which these drugs are accessed through these programs.

PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

While there is moderate consistency in the selection of cancer drugs that account for the highest provincial expenditures, considerable differences were found in the rates at which some drugs are accessed across provincial programs.

CONCLUSIONS

The study demonstrates the existence of interprovincial variation in publicly funded access to cancer drugs even after these drugs have been approved for public coverage.