Conference coverage: 2019 Calgary Drug Trends Summit

On Oct. 24, the 2019 Calgary Drug Trends Summit featured presentations to educate plan sponsors and advisors about specific disease states and their challenges, new drug treatment categories and key drug trends facing benefits plans.

Here’s what you missed!

New drug therapies for common conditions could impact private plan sustainability
While medical advancements and drug therapy innovations have been life-changing for patients and plan members, they also come with increasing costs. Read more.

Health-care cost of migraine rising as patients face reduced wages, lost productivity
Although migraine is disabling, it’s also very common, with 2.7 million or 8.3 per cent of Canadians suffering from the condition. Read more.

Current vaccines could eradicate up to 95% of all HPV-related cancers
Only eight per cent of Canadian women who are eligible for a vaccine that covers nine strains of the human papillomavirus are actually receiving it. Read more.

Switch from biologic to biosimilar drug requires monitoring, patient-informed discussion
When it comes to switching from a biologic to a biosimilar drug, patient choice and engagement is extremely important. Read more.

Fluor Canada shares journey of move to a managed drug formulary
Alongside Fluor Canada’s recent move to a flexible benefits plan, it also introduced a managed drug formulary, which includes generic substitution, prior authorization, lifetime maximums and an annual out-of-pocket maximum. Read more.