Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1513142
Summary All three categories analyzed in the TELUS Health 2023 Category Watch report posted large gains in claimants in the past five years (chart 31). Eligible amounts submitted to private drug plans increased accordingly, and in some cases at a higher rate due to higher drug costs or more claims per claimant. Diabetes – Among all drug categories, private drug plans spent the most for diabetes drugs and devices in 2022, for 7.4% of all claimants. The claimant count increased by double digits in the past two years, propelled in large part by the off-label prescribing of one drug, Ozempic, for weight management. The impact of such off-label activity is exacerbated by the fact that Ozempic is part of a drug class (GLP-1 RAs) with an average annual eligible amount per claimant that is significantly higher than it is for other drug classes. That said, GLP-1 RAs and other second- and third-line therapies are proving their clinical value in the management of diabetes. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) – Many more Canadians, particularly those aged 20 to 39, are taking drugs to treat ADHD. While a heavily genericized market means that higher drug costs are not a factor, volume growth alone has driven double-digit increases in eligible amount—so much so that the category is now vying with depression and asthma to break into TELUS Health's top-five list of categories by eligible amount. P. 27