Canadian Drug Prices Up Too -- by Almost 16 Per Cent

by L.A.S.

If you've been idealizing the Canadian health care system because it appears to work while keeping costs under control -- that may be. But the fact remains that overall medical care costs (that is, everything except medications) rose 13 percent in 2008 and just over 14 percent in 2009. And prescription prices rose 15.9 percent so far in 2009.

Canadians are feeling squeezed by the recession just as much as we are. Nervous Canadians are taking advantage of their healthcare benefits, and paying more attention to wellness issues. Among employers, wellness programs are gaining support as a way to control costs while reducing absenteeism and increasing productivity.