Staff
Although overall drug cost growth slowed in 2025, inflation continues to drive cost increases among Canadian benefits plan sponsors, according to a new report by Medavie Blue Cross
It found in 2025, per-capita drug spending by Canadian plan sponsors increased by four per cent. While drug utilization increased by only 0.3 per cent, inflation increased by 3.6 per cent and continued to be the main factor driving overall trend. The combination of both factors resulted in a smaller increase than in the recent past, the report noted
Extended <a href="https://healthylife7.com/that-health-expert-in-your-feed-may-not-be-real/” title=”That health expert in your feed may not be real”>health benefits spending also grew slowly at 5.2 per cent but continued to make up a large share of total benefits spending (36 per cent)
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Inflammatory conditions remained the No. 1 therapeutic drug category by eligible spend at 21.1 per cent, followed by diabetes (11.9 per cent), mental health (6.4 per cent), respiratory conditions (5.1 per cent), cancer (4.9 per cent), cardiac conditions (4.5 per cent), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (four per cent), multiple sclerosis (3.1 per cent), weight management (2.7 per cent) and gastrointestinal conditions (2.6 per cent)
The report noted weight management drugs entered the top 10 drug categories for the first time in 2025, driven by increased utilization. Among plans that cover weight management drugs (45 per cent), the category represented five per cent of total spending
Specialty drugs continued to make up a large share of drug plan costs. Although they represented only one per cent of all drug claims, they accounted for 37 per cent of total drug spending and almost two per cent of plan members used at least one specialty drug
Read:Private benefits plan sponsors’ prescription drug costs up 12.9% in 2023: report
