Expensive prescription drugs in Canada : Canada’s Health Care Problem - the fifth estate

[@Zohirul-Jewel]

Canadians also pay one of the highest rates for phone plans.

[@atlormerjo8830]

bih solange :::. do you ship them out of NIGERIA

[@Rebecca-qw3pq]

can you believe there is talk of opening up the market now! Thumbs up, hopefully independent companies can help us decrease prices.

[@kumba821]

Awww when the little boy said there is no cure in ur life time but there will be a cure in my life time.. it brought a tear to my eyes

[@davidsteen4020]

your*

[@cloudnine585]

David S. You are so sad and pathetic I almost feel sorry for you. If all you can do is sit and correct spelling and grammar. Your life must be very, very, very boring. And empty.

[@bella95]

Isn't he amazing.

[@Shannon_Vlogs]

I believe that there will be. Many organizations are working on a cure for type one.

[@austinjalen2789]

a tip: you can watch movies at kaldroStream. Been using it for watching loads of movies during the lockdown.

[@skinproper]

Does anyone else think Andrea is wise beyond his years? We need affordable medications for people like him and his family! What can a regular citizen do to help this cause?

[@davidsteen4020]

To help his cause? You could spell his name right, for starters

[@cloudnine585]

Being from the UK where we do not need medical insurence, and our prescriptions are no where as expensive as what you have to pay, although we do get refused some medications because of the high price. I wonder though, what would happen to that wonderful little boy if his parents could not afford his medication at all. Would he be left to die? After watching this, I feel ashamed, because we moan all the time in England about our poor health service. However seeing how you struggle to buy you medication is very humbeling.

[@cloudnine585]

David S. Zzzzzz get a life!

[@Adam-rk7wo]

tobivision vote NDP

[@roohickson]

I would be happy to send him.some of my insulin I can get as much as I want when I want. all for $5.00nzd. Wish I knew how to get in touch with them

[@mksabourinable]

I love Andrei oh my lord.... When his mom started crying and he then he comforted her right away, and then the quip right back at the doctor about he cure..... Like wow. What an amazing kid!

[@frackhark828]

We have legit ,real and sealed Products here Text us at [phone] Pills, Cocaine, Meth,Speed and weed Wickr > medicalonline Text - [phone] Whatsapp - [phone] Skype: frack007 Email - medicalonlinestore at gmail dot com Thanks

[@applegal3058]

I'm a government employee. I have an ok drug insurance coverage. I also have chronic viral Hepatitis B. My specialist prescribed the cheapest antiretroviral therapy, which is approximately $130 per month. The province refused to cover it unless I had scarring of the liver, and my private insurance company refused saying the drug wasn't made for my disease - although the drug name has HBV in it's name and Health Canada drug information papers says it's for my disease. I've fought for months with my insurance, sending in my information. It wasn't until my specialist tried to get approval for a more expensive drug that they would cover, that the cheaper drug was finally approved. Insurance companies are business without any desire to help, and I would have had to develop liver cirrhosis before I would have been treated. It's enough to make you sick.

[@gullybull5568]

Apple Gal quit drinking alcohol and dont share drinks. nice story . so what

[@applegal3058]

FemBot At first I was upset with this person's comment, but that passed quickly, as I don't waste my time worrying over people like that. Thanks for agreeing with me though and standing up to ignorance. :-) Have a wonderful evening.

[@davidsengthay6530]

God bless!

[@insanechimpanzee]

You're completely right, thank you for sharing.

[@applegal3058]

insanechimpanzee You're welcome. It's important to share our struggles so that others who are also struggling know that they're not alone. Also, change doesn't happen unless people speak up about injustice.

[@barbkueber8244]

the fifth estate seems to be a bit out of touch, most Canadians don't have private insurance for drugs.

[@MelissaSamms]

Barb Kueber every episode I've seen lately is pretty out of touch, or at least heavily skewed.

[@thomasjust2663]

He meant Canadians that work for companies, their employers pay for private insurance for drugs

[@barbkueber8244]

@@thomasjust2663 Oh, so you mean those Canadians who live somewhere that has companies offering livable wages, not those most places other than gov work, up there on the sunshine list already. I mean who really gives a crap about those working 5 jobs or disabled. All hail Canada's revolting universally unfair by any measure, so-called equal accrss to health and Care ... As much as you can afford.

[@marianshand4523]

It's the same here in Australia. I'm type 2 Diabetic, I take Metformin Full cost $16.00, I pay $5.00 I also take NovoMix 30 full price $206.59 a box, I pay $6.40 a box. Canada get your system in order.

[@nikhilraghav7271]

It's really costly.

[@mncboard5978]

Certainly a complex problem that has been discussed and reviewed for decades with little progress to resolve or change the situation. We must hold both our political leaders and the pharma industry to account to help resolve this growing crisis for fair and timely drug access and coverage. Canadians have, for so long, believed it is only in the US that people can't afford to pay or lose their homes or can't switch jobs for fear of losing coverage. We face similar issues in this country. It is particularly evident when it comes to high cost medications that are potentially life saving or sustaining. Patients need access but at but at a price that is sustainable for our system - we count on it and we cannot have a system that fails us when we need it most. The Federal and Provinical govenrments must make progress and ensure equitable solutions for the entire country - A.Cyr

[@hotroddaddy-et4xg]

i lost my job,license everything 19 years ago with my first seizure.i found out how quick the lie of a social system and publicly funded medical help was a bold faced lie..i;ve spent over $40,000.00 in ambulance bills.. the harsh reality is you can become homeless broke and with no ability to support yourself or your family with in weeks..the canada health act of 1984 tabled and signed by trudeau's father is being completely ignored. we need a new party that actually will use common sense. formed from average blue collar citizens that earn under $50,000.00 to run this country.

[@yolrivers1866]

Same here in the US medications are even more expensive then Canada. It's unforgivable that these drug companies make so much money but there Prescription are cheaper in other countries. I've seen people walk away from the pharmacy due the cost of a prescription.

[@anyabazarkulova.j2747]

love her son... so understanding towards his parents

[@HelenaVanCity]

Surprise, surprise! EVERYTHING is overpriced in Canada, from books to food to housing! It's ridiculous: many Vancouverites do their grocery shopping in Seattle, Washington!!

[@samoyedsnowdog]

I am so grateful for the Australian health care system.

[@JustAThought155]

I knew this would be hard to watch, but now, after watching it, I am too poor to afford a medication to rid me of the depression I am now experiencing. I live in the US, so if Canadians are being ripped off, though they manufacture many of the medications featured in this episode, we in America are simply in a hopeless case. Ugh! What a sick greed based world we live in, especially in the so-called civilized developed world!

[@pickles3128]

Have you applied for Obamacare? Open enrollment is on now. May I ask what it is you take? The most expensive I've ever been on was Vybriid; my Dr just kept giving me free "test" packets. Suboxone also went from $25 a week to $1200 a month (that was for opioid dependence.) I now pay $500/month for methadone; the drug itself costs less than $30 a month.

[@RasPutintheGreat]

Come to PH and you don't need medicine for your "depression".

[@TheShpmusic]

Canadians pay the highest rent too they are really making us broke high rent, minimum wage. (owe Canada )

[@roohickson]

Kevon Thomas How much is your rent per week? We pay 580.00 per week for a small 2 bedroomed house. considering my partner only earns $1000.00 per week This doesn't include power, gas or water use. I have diabetes and now have kidney disease so I am unable to work.

[@hardcandy7112]

I Notice how high your home are in Canada , how can you people afford to pay 300k to 800k for a home in that cold weather , in Florida with 300k you buy yourself a 2500sqf home near the ocean with warm weather all year long and if you go to Jacksonville ,fl you buy a house with 70k dollars and still be in florida sunshine state all year long , time to wake up Canadians .

[@huuhuu2011]

Great documentary by CbC. Learned so much here. I was angry today because I spent hours waiting to see a dermatologist, who didn’t even look at my skin condition before writing down a prescription for 2 different drugs, and then trying to make me buy a $120 skin care product that had sodium lauryl sulfate as one of its main ingredients (I can get products with the same ingredients at the grocery store for like $5). I feel like this should be illegal. Why are doctors wasting their hard earned degrees to swindle millions of our money. Their profession should be a respected one but nowadays I find it very hard to trust most doctors I see.

[@NickanM]

*I pay a maximum of 350 $ PER YEAR for ALL medicines prescribed to me. I live in Scandinavia right now.*

[@jabul786]

When little kid said "Money doesn't grow on trees" it made my eyes wet. May Allah heal him and protect him.

[@austinsolak]

We discussed this in one of my University lectures, I'll quote my Teaching Assistant who said some fine words: "There is definitely room for improvement, but some example used are a bit misleading. I think this comment summarizes them well: "The problem with this program is that they are lumping patented and generic drugs together, which is misleading when they say that "Canada pays the second highest prices for prescription drugs in the world". In Canada, patented drug prices are regulated by the PMPRB (patented medicines pricing review board). If the 5th Estate looked into this, they'd see (from the PMPRB website): "How do drug prices in Canada compare to prices in other countries? The prices of patented medicines in Canada remain at the median of international prices as defined by our comparator countries as per the Patented Medicine Regulations: France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the USA." The pricing of generics however in Canada is not regulated and that's where Canadians pay higher prices for the same medication vs most of the rest of the world.""

[@MurrayBogart]

two basic problems. one is our proximity to the U.S. and their influence on our country through corporate America. Two is the continuing false belief that Corporations are interested in competition and can be trusted.

[@Mikem-mq2hh]

wow that first story kid is wise beyond his years...impressive

[@maxabramson4781]

"We need to look into ways..." That's what U.S. politicians always say down here. It's impossible to get a straight answer out of any of them.

[@kori4580]

As a Canadian living in Australia where there is universal drug coverage I can tell you from first hand experiences it's not perfect. To compensate the large costs the government doesn't pay for other health services that are free in Canada like you have to pay an amount to see a doctor and even to get tests done such as X-rays. As a result people are less likely to see the Dr which can have negative consequences. A more sustainable option is to keep the current system but allow special access to public drug coverage for people who certain diseases like Type 1 diabetes

[@lillieeve6969]

Marcus Aurelius in the states you have to pay astronomically per x-ray, ultrasound, blood test etc. And seeing a specialist is in the 100s as well, specialist meaning anyone other than your "pcp" who has to give you recommendations to see a specialist if you have an HMO plan (they almost all are now) which can take months. I'm $17,000 in debt and can't even get a credit card and it is ALL medical bills. Sorry I had a seizure and was unconscious at the time and can't afford to pay the $500 ambulance ride. It's bad here. Real bad.

[@kori4580]

Lillie Eve that's exactly why I commend the Canadian government for being wise enough in looking at other countries to better the current system. And I hate to say it but people here in Australia are so use to paying cheap prices for their drugs that they feel entitled to the point that they complain if it cost anything above $15 meanwhile the same medication in Canada may cost $100

[@H37P5kY57]

I hate to say that in America drugs are much more expensive.....I do try getting some of my drugs in Canada because the costs are sometimes 300% more

[@kabo0m]

Ya but the whole world knows that USA is terribly expensive when it comes to any medical care at all including meds.

[@MBarberfan4life]

Katie Kaboom, except 25% of Americans that are brainwashed.

[@landonbrawe6865]

@@MBarberfan4life more like 40% 20 to the Democrats 20 to the republicans people really picking sides like it's football without knowing about either sides money influences

[@hardcandy7112]

Americans are becoming homeless , sick ,. Addictive to drugs to escape reality, sadly we have a two party corrupt system ,more like a Two Headed snake that will bite you after the election is over , only who know who will save us , I lost faiths in our system .

[@peachesnmulder]

I moved to a new province for school and found out after classes began that the school doesn't have health care coverage for students. The cost of my medication was the same as the cost of paying for health insurance plus what the insurance didn't cover. I paid for meds out of pocket for 8 months totalling $1200.

[@Rebecca-qw3pq]

what Provence may I ask?

[@hotroddaddy-et4xg]

people are dying everyday because medication is too expensive. ..people are dying because they aren't calling an ambulance because the bills are too high..dissability tax credits and federal help is being denied..school grants for the dissabled are being denied..people are starving because the system that was built and designed to ensure that doesn't happen is being ignored..proper medical help is available IF you can afford it!! if not, wait 6 months and we;ll see if we can fit you in. if you die in the mean time? sorry! we're booked...this isn't a big deal because politicians and civil servants have full medical coverage paid for by us and they will never see a bill...time to get rid of professional politicians!!

[@russellmartinkenny5796]

I really like Canadians, i am English but i have met many Canadians on my travels, the accent is great and they don't shout when they talk,unlike some other nations from across the big pond.

[@rogereffa3542]

I'm from the US & currently my monthly cost is $6-7000 plus. Humira itself is at $5000. In a year's time it's over $60000 plus the other meds. Thankfully I do have drug coverage as the $800\month income doesn't begin to make a dent in med costs. I really would like to know why Humira costs so much seeing how it's been on the market well over 20 yrs & it gets prescribed for at least 3 medical issues according to the commercials for it on tv. My guess is that somebody's getting\gotten fantastically rich off of other people's misfortune & misery. GREED is what comes to mind.

[@rickybobby7997]

is there anything that Canadians are not over paying for? We are over charged for just about everything!

[@andrewwebb157]

did the heath minister really answer any of the questions ask put to her ???????

[@wyldflwr]

Andrew Webb No, she said a lot of words, but answered nothing.

[@kabo0m]

They never answer .. only say a lot of empty words..

[@hotroddaddy-et4xg]

not 1 !! danced around an answer but doesn't want to be quoted on anything.

[@RasPutintheGreat]

She was talking without saying something.

[@elizabethmcleod246]

They simply won’t be accountable.

[@ilovevandalism]

Oh and you know if you break your arm you won't pay for that but you'll have a blast waiting 10 hours in a waiting room filled with chaos with your dangling arm. This is facts, but hey its free

[@kabo0m]

Depends on the hour you break it. If 10am it is only a 2 hour wait ;)

[@mariekatherine5238]

Same in US without universal healthcare.

[@roohickson]

same here in new Zealand

[@Alley00Cat]

Congrats on taking the KZbin plunge. I love the Fifth Estate but I have always had technical problems with the CBC player. Thanks!!

[@thellamalady4181]

Parents don't need to bring their kid into their financial problems. "Money doesn't grow on trees". Where do you suppose he learned THAT from??? Yeah, his mom and dad. He's gonna feel it's his fault their having problems because it's HIS medication that costs so much!

[@calvinh.8882]

Here In the U.S. it is now illegal for prescription companies to give ANY type of gifts to Dr's or their staff. They can't even give them those free pens that we used to always see on the counters at the Dr's offices that have the drug companies name on them.

[@FabFunty]

I'm sorry to burst your bubble Canada but in Germany we have also free healthcare ( /world's oldest national social health insurance system/ ) and here you'll have a co-payment of max. 2% of your yearly income for prescription drugs, 1% if you have a chronic disease. Even the Dentist and partial costs for dentures are covered.

[@sharondaveangie]

Jane Philpott needs to go back to her physician career because she has no idea what she is doing. Like any politician, she only reinforces what we already know and NEVER NEVER answers a question. I wonder what Canadians she is consulting about the "WORK" she is doing???????????????????????????????????????

[@prosperas9681]

These people should move to Quebec. They have a public prescription drug plan.

[@kabo0m]

Think Alberta has coverage t6oo

[@hotroddaddy-et4xg]

manitoba has one too. my 70 year old fathers deductible is $6,000.00 a year..after i was on the news for paying over $40,000.00 in ambulance bills my pharmacy has waived my deductible every year.(epilepsy)

[@AbdulKhan-di4ei]

I wish I was in position to help the little boy I would make sure that he would never worry about his meds it really got me

[@ANTITRINITARIAN]

The drug is made in Canada, $130 per year in Canada but $10 per year in new Zealand . That's stupid.

[@MadSweetpea]

$130 divided by 12 is only $10 a month, that's not that bad.

[@ANTITRINITARIAN]

Karen Bell what about the ten dollar per year in New Zealand? Thats way better. What if a person have five or six prescriptions pills that needs to be filled every month?

[@MadSweetpea]

True, I have multiple medications that would cost over a hundred a month without my insurance. I agree that for people who can't afford the medications there should be a program like the New Zealand one to help them and we do it for seniors here in Canada, why not everyone.

[@Dunning.Kruger]

Maybe not a lot on your income.

[@SkashTheKitsune]

$6.50 in Australia, they recently dropped it to $5.50

[@dariuszestkowski7683]

Don't forget that Canadians have to pay taxes purchasing every medication ,which is travesty,

[@TsukiNaito1]

"Why do Canadians pay so much?" American: 😂😂😂😂😂😂🤣😂😂🤣😂🤣😭😭😭😭

[@Adam-rk7wo]

If the liberals wanna stay in office they better make the huge change now. If u can't get it done NDP will.

[@raymondcaylor6292]

3:54 but now you KNOW and still do nothing to address the problem od A) working more to pay the expenses or buy the insurance or B) Work a job that provides the insurance needed. I would love to work for myself or have my wife work just 15 hours a week but we do what we have to do and thankful we have the ability to.

[@LuckyStrike-ov9cd]

It's not just drugs that are expensive houses cars insurance cable cell phone bills I can go on and on like no where else

[@MirekHeikkila]

AhHh!! Cancel the cable bill and just use the internet! :D

[@TheShpmusic]

Lucky Strike owe Canada 👈

[@MissFinanceCanada]

I stopped trusting doctors years ago, More like , the modern day pushers.

[@user-vr3fu2ek8d]

That's why I'm glad we have a pharmacare system coming in, the fact that we live in the most developed country in the world and paying an average if 500% more is horrible

[@3peckeredgoat735]

It's terrible that we have the medication to heal or to keep people alive but make it impossible to obtain it in most cases. Something needs to change.

[@marichuampo1614]

Its very informative.

[@rockynanach]

So just do it instead of talking

[@harrickvharrick3957]

sickening, can't stand hearing this kind of thing. I feel for you Canadians! you gotto demand, force, insists on this getting improved I guess and see if you can unite in order to make your struggle worthwhile. make sure your politicians feel they got no other choice than coming to your rescue.

[@kayforeman8081]

i don't understand, then why did Trump make a deal with Trudeau that we US citizens can start gettin meds from Canada because it is cheaper. I know people who go to Canada to get their drugs because of price, or order from Canada. Hope Big Pharma can seep at night!

[@MelissaSamms]

I didn't have insurance for about two years. In that time, I couldn't buy inhalers. The fast acting Ventolin wasn't too expensive, at about 25$, but the Flovent was over 200$, so I just went without. I am lucky that my asthma isn't severe, but my health definitely declined over that period as any cardio would trigger an asthma attack, and if I couldn't afford a Ventolin that month I had to wait and struggle to breathe for a minimum of an hour on average. Pharmacare wouldn't just save lives, it would drastically improve the quality of life for everyone with chronic illnesses.

[@Farooq1977]

Same Prescriptions by Same Manufacturers, in 3rd world countries are available at 5-10% of the Canadian cost! Why are we paying more?

[@shawnl6018]

Even if you have good health coverage someone's footing the bill if I was the one covering everyone's health insurance I would want a better deal on the prescription drugs I was providing the money for

[@QueenRaven911]

As a Canadian, I can confirm that Canadians have no benefit when it comes to drug plan. I remember my prescription was about $130 a week when I was just a student, and that was about 15 years ago, luckily my problem was only temporary, I was recovered within a month. For someone who needs long term medication without company drug plan, it is really difficult. If we do have a company drug plan, we are covered anywhere from 80 to 100%. 80% is the norm.

[@AlysserJade]

Canada is way too expensive.

[@ingridakerblom7577]

In the case of the boy with type 1 diabeties *spelling*, would it save money to order needles & testpads from the internet? Or is it illegal for the psrentd to import for personal use? I know that you cant order the medication itself, but the other things?

[@user1name1here]

the lady at the end seems more talk then action

[@Pachochay8045]

Each province have a Pharmacare system who control what prescription drugs that will be eligible for Pharmare approval ! And also the one who will approved for the “ generic “ kind of prescription! and this person is the one will be seek by the agent of the drugs company !!!! And probably have to make it with sweet deal ? What I mentioned here is only ONE PROBLEM because there is also the issue between the SALE REF and the doctor ????

[@mayemcdonald9111]

Has anything been done yet about pricing of medications. Actions speak much louder than words. I pray this is looked into stat. Thank you.

[@RasPutintheGreat]

They're connected from food industry, pharma, insurance and the likes. It is mandatory to have insurance, food poison the consumers therefore go to pharma later on and insurance will say "you're not covered". NZ I'm coming as suggested by the old man at 37:12

[@jackiechan511]

We need a legislative price ceiling on drug costs. Also CTVs W-five did a report on drug costs and these pharmaceutical companies are just greedy. They mark up the cost of making the drug many times over. And dont forget that r&d costs are publicly subsidized as well.

[@StrudelCutie.4427]

Unfortunately subsidization doesn't begin to cover the cost of R&D for any of the major drug companies. The average cost of R&D that goes into developing each new prescription medication that gets approved is in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

[@wakeandbakewithmaryjane1767]

THIS needs an update. What EXACTLY happened to the so called work she was doing and why has nothing changed 4 years later ?

[@catherinehpn3613]

This is a wonderfully informative video.

[@chriss4735]

Try living in the US... That drug is probably $1300 here.

[@davidsteen4020]

Thanks Obama

[@lillieeve6969]

David S. At least he has dignity and a conscience. Even right-wing conservatives can see that Trump's a legitimate psychopath.

[@WorldlyBong]

Canada should aim better than just being better than the United States.

[@amandakwong2647]

Chris S, my husband & I are also contractor & don't have insurance. We pay $1500 a month for dental & health insurance and that's not including drugs plus you have to pay co-pays to doctors & hospital visitation and pay for prescription drugs too ( insurance pay some but not all). We have 2 daughters and we are really scared of getting sick cause it's cause so much money. I wish my husband works for the city or states cause they have insurance for their employees

[@xatreyudollx]

Yes, granted. However you don't have to pay the hiiiiigh amount of taxes we have to pay here. It is kind of hypocritical that we know we give a considerable amount of our income in taxes among others for our "universal" health care system and yet depending on where you live in Canada the service can be horrible (waiting 5+ hours in emergency) and drugs not being adequately covered. Sometimes we're better off paying 150$ for a private healthcare consultation and seeing a doctor almost immediately for a urinary tract infection then waiting it out 6 hours in a hospital or clinic..

[@g0nz088]

I think as Canadians including myself,we should be very happy that a lot of our health care is covered even tho it may not be on certain prescription drugs,but we are very lucky in like the states even giving birth can put an individual in debt which the outcome may be much worse. Or even a simple hospital visit can be there whole pay check. So even tho we have limited coverage we should still be thankful we cannot be getting everything free or at a low cost..

[@TheShpmusic]

this country makes no sense 👎

[@wyldflwr]

You always need to be your own advocate. Do your own research. Many drug companies have assistance programs where you can get certain meds for free. Ask about generics. A trip to Mexico once or twice a year can save you the bank, coming home with meds from a Mexican pharmacy. Online pharmacies can also save you some money, just make sure they are reputable. Online coupons and discount cards and price comparison can make a huge difference in what you pay. There are many options before just accepting and paying the price they tell you.

[@REMMc-jx7vc]

Maybe Mike Harris had something about sending us information health "bills" on our usage and what these companies and hospitals bill the govt.

[@pikeman80]

The thing that makes it look okay is that we're living directly North of the "Ticking Time Bomb"

[@chancemukai7280]

Narrator: this drug costs 130 dollars... Me an American: holy crap per pill? Man canadians really are getting stiffed. Narrator: per year. Me: Oh... right.

[@jimpaulo830]

Does anyone know how to reach Andrei Marti's parents? As a insulin dependent diabetic, I have a surplus of supplies I could donate. I tried reaching the CBC but their producers were of no help. Thanks All!

[@lillieeve6969]

Jim Paulo it's pleasant to see kind people in the frightening world of KZbin comments.

[@jimpaulo830]

You're quite kind, Lillie. I am so blessed to have the resources that I do and it breaks my heart that Andrei is subjected to sterilizing (boiling) his needles for reuse. THAT is unexceptable. Your suggestions and help is greatly appreciated.

[@kenmozley3144]

People in general are ignorant to what an insulin dependent diabetic goes through each day. I honestly didn’t know much about diabetes in general until I met my hubby...he was a type 1 as well but wasn’t diagnosed until he was 23 yrs old. He was so brital that he was refused a pump!! He passed away in Nov at age 46 from a heart attack, and he was the most fit person you’d ever meet. It’s the tole that diabetes takes on you. THANK YOU for reaching out!! I hope it all worked out!!

[@tomtom2ization]

What year was this?

[@antoinette22]

This video was posted on the same day it was broadcasted: Jan 13, 2017

[@AmberMcQuaker]

One of the medications I'm on is Vyvanse which treats ADHD and costs $158 per month. The company that makes Vyvanse still has the patent, so there is no generic. But, other drugs like Biphentin ($90), Ritalin SR ($30), Dexedrine ($43), are $68 to $128 cheaper. Vyvanse is preferred by doctors because it's newer and longer acting. For someone who will struggle to afford Vyvanse for life, I don't care if I have to take it once or three times a day, as long it's cheaper.

[@lillieeve6969]

Ambrielle-Lyn McQuaker Same. My insurance it's $400. When is THAT patent up? And my friend who is not rich gets it cheap. How is that possible?

[@AmberMcQuaker]

It appears the patent will expire June 1 2024 according to Health Canada/

[@lillieeve6969]

Ambrielle-Lyn McQuaker welp, there goes my degree..

[@pimperish666]

I thought drug costs in Canada were low? Was recently told the Canadian government had regulations on drugs to prevent costs from rising. Seems someone’s been lying to me. And yeah, the drugs are probably a lot more expensive in the US.

[@elizabethmcleod246]

Our government is corrupt. Doctors are corrupt.

[@nunyadambusiness3530]

as an american, its funny to think that $130 is alot for medications for canadians, when americans pay 1000x more for the same things.

[@shighberg]

Very easy to spend $500,000 on medical bills in the States

[@RobinTaiwan2008]

I'm an expat mostly because of Canada's crazy taxes, dental and prescription drug costs. I left Canada when I was in my 30's and shortly became debt free (which is more than I can say for most people I know back home). For the haters out there...don't knock it till you try it.

[@artukmi91]

Robin Waldron where did you move

[@TheMel0911]

I feel awful for you guy's I just can not imagine what it would be like to have to pay for medication How can the governments not afford to put the cost of medications in its budget, it is sickening.

[@lillieeve6969]

melanie powell I live in the states and can't get a credit card cause I'm $17,000 in debt, all medical bills. From things I have no control over (epilepsy)

[@iwanttobreakfree9430]

Is there an update on these people

[@DaneRates]

If there's no other solution Canda could hire New Zealands Healthcare Professionals to take control and administrator Canada's entire Healthcare system. (Simple Solution)

[@reneeganley6423]

I'm a type 2 diabetic and Metformin is the only med that works for me. The "newer" and " better" made me quite sick and I ended up in the hospital for 4 days. Go figure!

[@cooldude46100]

Build more pill mills ASAP!

[@user-hr6sm4ej4m]

Well spoken for such a young little guy, nobody deserves diabetes..

[@TheShpmusic]

There will be no money to retire too.watch 👀

[@codyshand9486]

Although my situation is not as severe as most of these I have a medical marijuana card no support at all from the government with these sometimes costing up to $50 a day I have tried every other form of medication and it is failed I have chronic pain due to tumors

[@kazkk2321]

Execute bankers and regulate the pharmaceutical industry . Period

[@miaa7097]

Money out of politics now

[@NoOneNoWhere72]

You guys (Canadians eh’) think your medications are EXPENSIVE?? Here in the US one of my medications is 1300.00/MONTH in US dollars. That same medication is 80.00/THREE months supply in Canada. That is $15,,600 per year in the States -vs- $320.00 per year from Canada. How can a necessary for life medication cost 10,000.00 less than my husband’s yearly social security and pension?

[@allisonshepard1479]

It probably evens out with their Universal Health Care.

[@sylvieguenette4318]

No, it doesn't. That "universal" health care is paid through our high taxes... so, essentially, that''s not free either.

[@MrWhiteprideWorldWide]

wait what? liberals in america always said Canada's gov funded helahtcare system is great and we need that in america !

[@pamela6507]

Im so sad Andrei what a beautiful person imcrediable love he has for his mom Cancer ,medications are on tje rise which is so wrong i have 3 types of cancer and sometimes i skip because i just dont have the money i dont understand this i have nobody to help me so i am on my own sure wish cancer would just leave

[@larrywolf2509]

Type I here in America, it's way worse here... The corporations bought and sold all our congressmen for the privilege of price gouging us. I'm broke, just to live... all because of something I have no control over. You have my sympathy, but remember, it could be worse... You could be in America. :(

[@IO-nd2dz]

'Not in your lifetime' beautiful!!

[@jewels3895]

Gorgeous Boy Andrea

[@MidlifeMindfulnessWithMelissa]

The problem with this program is that they are lumping patented and generic drugs together, which is misleading when they say that "Canada pays the second highest prices for prescription drugs in the world". In Canada, patented drug prices are regulated by the PMPRB (patented medicines pricing review board). If the 5th Estate looked into this, they'd see (from the PMPRB website): "How do drug prices in Canada compare to prices in other countries? The prices of patented medicines in Canada remain at the median of international prices as defined by our comparator countries as per the Patented Medicine Regulations: France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the USA." By this very definition, unless the price in France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK are one consistent price (presumably lower than the US, which pays astronomically high prices for their meds), what they are saying makes no sense, from a branded medicines point of view. The pricing of generics however in Canada is not regulated and that's where Canadians pay higher prices for the same medication vs most of the rest of the world (and to companies that don't innovate to boot). In fact, the pill bottle they showed and talked about at the beginning of the video was an Apotex (generic Canadian company) bottle, in the NZ example, the drugs they showed in the pharmacy video were generics, all but one of the drugs they showed to the Kiwi's on the street were generic, and so was the one he showed to the Health Minister. If Canadians should be outraged, it's because they are paying excessively high prices vs the rest of the world to drug companies that just copy the work of others and don't innovate themselves. On this particular topic, The Fifth Estate is ignorant at best, misleading at worst. And if they think it's questionable that patented medication reps bring doctors a $10 lunch, they should take a look into generic sales rep practices. I'm quite certain they'd be pretty appalled by what they see...

[@missanna208802]

Jim poot may not be able to teach in a classroom anymore, but perhaps he could still tutor.

[@CDNShuffle]

of topic but 1 bottle of rogaine hair regrowth is 100$ in canada but 4 bottles is 80$ in america. why doesnt our goverment stand up for us

[@davidsteen4020]

boob jobs are expensive too, hopefully the government can supplement all the people that are insecure about the way they look!

[@davidsteen4020]

Someone is upset and insecure because they're bald LOL

[@CDNShuffle]

David S. im not bald:) rogai ne fixxed this, that i have to order from the states. no thanks to the canadian goverment.

[@davidsteen4020]

so it's the government's fault that you're insecure? I've never seen someone so butthurt over being bald hahaha

[@CDNShuffle]

David S. as i previously stated, im not bald

[@TheShpmusic]

sell the house n move take the kid and get him the right treatment live small and be happy.

[@murraydyck2127]

30 thumbs down. Who would do that . Rich people?