Recent study shows that long term disability from arthritis in Canada costs $3.4 billion annually in lost productivity.

Health Canada's recently released Economic Burden of Illness in Canada examines both the direct and indirect costs of illness and disease in Canada. According to this report, musculoskeletal diseases rank second only to cardiovascular diseases as the most costly diagnostic category in Canada. Arthritis accounts for 32% of all hospital costs within the musculoskeletal category, 43% of drug costs within the category and 27% of morbidity costs due to long term disability within the category.

Using 1998 data, the report estimates annual costs of hospital care for the treatment of arthritis to be $ 478 million. Prescription and non-prescription drugs cost another $263 million. But these direct costs of health care for the treatment of arthritis pale when compared to the costs lost productivity from long term disability associated with arthritis which is estimated to be $3.4 billion annually.