2000 October Report of the Auditor General of Canada

Exhibit 15.5—Analysis of Access to Prescription Drugs by Non-Insured Health Benefits Clients

Region	Number of clients going to 3 or more pharmacies			Number of clients getting over 15 different drugs			Number of clients getting at least 50 prescriptions
Region	1^st quarter 1996	1^st quarter 1999	3^rd quarter 1999	1^st quarter 1996	1^st quarter 1999	3^rd quarter 1999	1^st quarter 1996	1^st quarter 1999	3^rd quarter 1999
Pacific	1,931	1,836	1,745	107	126	118	97	137	158
Alberta	5,354	4,693	4,522	867	527	500	387	234	259
Sask.	2,960	3,618	3,130	199	260	233	22	31	124
Manitoba	1,991	2,301	2,225	129	185	170	37	70	62
Ontario	1,728	1,743	1,600	121	145	121	63	97	124
Quebec	373	486	496	39	96	54	84	227	254
Atlantic	678	367	359	137	48	48	20	14	17
Total	15,015	15,044	14,077	1,599	1,387	1,244	710	810	998

Notes:

1. At March 1996 there were approximately 620,000 eligible clients and at March 1999 approximately 672,000.

2. The following criteria (for a 90-day period) are used by some provincial bodies to identify cases for review:

Source: Health Canada