Top 10 expensive drugs in Canada by annual cost per beneficiary 2021/2022

Despite having a system of health care that is paid for by public funds, there are still some medications that are extremely expensive. As of fiscal year 2021/2022, the fourth most expensive drug in Canada was Myozyme (alglucosidase alfa) which cost around 534 thousand Canadian dollars per patient per year. This drug is used in the treatment of patients with Pompe disease, a rare genetic disorder. 

Canadian drug spending

Overall the expenditures on drugs as a percentage of all health spending in Canada have been slightly decreasing over time. The top therapeutic drug classes based on the total amount of public drug spending in Canada includes tumor necrosis factor alpha inhibitors, antivirals for the treatment of hepatitis C infections and antineovascularization agents.

Canada’s health spending overview

The Canadian system of health care allows for both publicly and privately funded health care models. While the health expenditures for the public sector have grown significantly over time, the private health care expenditures have also grown, though private expenditures are significantly less. Within the public sector of Canada’s health system, a significant majority of the spending is funded through the provincial governments as opposed to the federal government. The federal government accounts for a significantly smaller proportion of the total Canadian health financing.