Cost-related non-adherence to prescription medication

Proportion of the population who delayed or did not fill a prescription, or reduced or skipped doses of medication because of the cost, in the past year.

Cost-related non-adherence (CRNA) to prescription medication measures the proportion of the population who modified their medication routines due to economic reasons in the past year. This includes delaying or not filling a prescription and/or skipping or reducing doses of medication to make the prescription last longer.

This indicator is measured in the Survey on Health Care Access and Experiences (SHCAE-PSC), the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) and the Survey on Access to Health Care and Pharmaceuticals During the Pandemic (SAHCPDP).

In the SHCAE and SAHCPDP, survey respondents are asked:

In the past 12 months, did you do any of the following because of the cost of your prescription medication?

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

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

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.

• Survey on Health Care Access and Experiences Primary and Specialist Care (SHCAE-PSC)
• Canadian Community Health Survey – Annual Component (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)