{'fraction_non_alphanumeric': 0.028925619834710745, 'fraction_numerical': 0.009641873278236915, 'mean_word_length': 5.236051502145923, 'pattern_counts': {'":': 0, '<': 0, '<?xml version=': 0, '>': 0, 'https://': 0, 'lorem ipsum': 0, 'www.': 0, 'xml': 0}, 'pii_count': 0, 'substrings_counts': 0, 'word_list_counts': {'cursed_substrings.json': 0, 'profanity_word_list.json': 0, 'sexual_word_list.json': 0, 'zh_pornsignals.json': 0}}
Editorial: Canadian Association on Gerontology Policy Statement: Seniors and Prescription Drugs

Scope: Drug expenditures are responsible for an increasing proportion of Canadian health care cost, 9.9 billion in 1993 and 14 billion in 1996. Approximately one-third of the increases in cost are related to new drugs entering the market, and 24 per cent to increased utilization by patients (more prescriptions per person). Consumer cost-sharing (co-payments, co-insurance, deductibles) for prescription medication and provincial control over the list of drugs that will be insured in the public plan (the formulary) are the two main methods used to control costs in provincial health care systems. While in theory, cost-sharing and formulary restriction, are supposed to reduce the use of 'less-essential' drugs (drugs that have limited or no superior benefit in improving health status), in practice, cost-sharing appears to create financial barriers to drug access for both essential and less essential therapies." The consequences of cost-sharing and formulary restriction on the health and well-being of seniors has not been adequately investigated in Canada. While, the fiscal integrity of the Canadian health care system is of concern for all Canadians, current cost-sharing policies for prescription drugs penalize seniors who are in the poorest health, or who have the misfortune to have illnesses where the cost of therapy is particularly high.