Cost-related non-adherence to prescription medication

Proportion of population not filling or renewing a prescription (or missing doses/reducing doses to make the prescription last longer) because of the cost of the medication.

Cost-related non-adherence (CRNA) to prescription medication measures the proportion of the population who alters their medication regimes for economic reasons. This includes not filling or renewing a prescription, delaying prescriptions, or taking less frequent and/or smaller doses to make the prescription last longer.

This indicator is measured in both the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) and the Survey on Access to Health Care and Pharmaceuticals During the Pandemic (SAHCPDP).

In the CCHS, survey respondents are asked: 

During the last 12 months, was there a time when you did not fill or collect a prescription for your medicine, or you skipped doses of your medicine because of the cost?

• Yes
• No
• Not applicable, [I] had no medication prescription to fill in the last 12 months

In the last 12 months, was there a time when you reduced the dosage of your medication or delayed filling your prescription, because of the cost?

• Yes
• No

In the SAHCPDP, survey respondents are asked:

In the past 12 months, did you do any of the following because of the cost of your prescriptions? Did you:

• Not fill or collect a prescription
• Skip doses of your medication
• Reduce the dosage of your medication
• Delay filling a prescription
• None of the above

What were the reasons you had difficulty accessing over-the-counter medications?

• Medication not available
• Did not want to go to pharmacy
• Unable to travel to pharmacy
• Could not afford the medication
• Other

This indicator is measured through multiple Statistics Canada surveys. Estimates can vary between data sources due to differences in reference periods, targeted or sampled populations, data collection and other methodology.

• Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS)
• Survey on Access to Health Care and Pharmaceuticals During the Pandemic (SAHCPDP)

• Pharmaceutical access and use (Statistics Canada - Infographics, November 2, 2022)

• Exploring gaps in prescription drug insurance coverage among men and women in Canada using an intersectional lens (Insights on Canadian Society, January 10, 2024)
• Pharmaceutical access and use during the pandemic (Insights on Canadian Society, November 2, 2022)