A Comparison of Two Drug Reimbursement Pricing Models: B.C. Pharmacare and the Ontario Drug Benefit Programme

Abstract

British Columbia's Pharmacare and the Ontario Drug Benefit Programme are compared with respect to drug prices, the market share of generic and brand names, and the existence of a difference between the government reimbursement price and the cost of the drug to the pharmacist. The evidence suggests that the best available price system of Ontario yields lower interchangeable drug prices than the actual acquisition cost system of British Columbia.