Ontario initiative to restrict drug benefits is likely to increase overall health costs by negating the potential to improve health outcomes.

The recent initiative by Ontario’s Ministry of Health to cut $200 million in provincial drug benefit spending ignores the reality that the reduction in Ontario’s rate of hospitalization over the past 2 decades has saved Ontario taxpayers billions of health care dollars in prevented or avoided hospitalizations. Much of this reduction has been made possible by effective new treatments including new medicines. Improving the quality of health care not only saves dollars, it also improves the quality of life for elderly and other vulnerable patients who count on publicly-funded drug benefit programs to get access to effective new medicines.

There is overwhelming evidence that restricting patient access to new medicines and shifting drug costs to patients who cannot afford them has a negative impact on drug use compliance and thus a negative impact on both the quality of health outcomes and the cost of healthcare. A recently published study reveals that middle-aged and elderly patients who cut back on medication use because of cost were 50 percent more likely to suffer from a stroke or heart attack than those who did not report cost-related medication under-use. Improving drug use compliance is an important step in reducing unnecessary hospitalizations from adverse drug reactions but restricting access to needed medicines harms vulnerable patients, undermines the quality of care does nothing to improve drug use compliance.