Accessing Diabetes Medications: A Pan-Canadian Analysis of Patient Experiences

Medicines are a key component of a range of therapeutic interventions that Canadians use to prevent, manage, and cure health conditions. Patients living with diabetes depend on access to evidence-based, individualized treatments to maintain and improve their health outcomes, reduce complications, and increase overall quality of life and lifespan.

As part of a broader research agenda exploring options for universal pharmacare in Canada, The Conference Board of Canada completed research on how patients with diabetes access necessary medications. Accessing Diabetes Medications: A Pan-Canadian Analysis of Patient Experiences discusses the issues patients face when managing, treating, and controlling their health conditions over the long term. It also points to the need for a more integrated health system focused on outcomes that are meaningful to patients. To this end, it is essential that these outcomes be measured and assessed in a standardized way, and used as the basis for continuous quality improvement efforts.