Doctors and drugs -- the costs go up

With most of the focus on squeezing hospital budgets, it's good to see that some others are beginning to pick up on the rapid increase in public spending on drugs and doctors, a point OCHU has been making for some time.

Following the release of a health care spending report from the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) even Toronto's national newspaper (of the Establishment), the Globe and Mail, has raised concerns:

Public spending on physicians has become the fastest-growing expense to Canada’s health-care system, a trend sparking growing calls for an overhaul to the payment system for doctors. The findings are contained in a new report released Thursday by the Canadian Institute for Health Information, which also found drug costs are eating up an increasing portion of Canada’s health-care budget. The report provides a stark glimpse of the future of Canada’s health-care system in a world where recessionary forces are squeezing hospital budgets but demand from an aging population for doctors and prescription drugs is only just beginning to ramp up.

A summary of CIHI's report is here, while the full report can be downloaded here.

dallan@cupe.ca

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