Average Number of Drug Classes Used by Seniors on Public Drug Programs
Identifying Attributes
Care Settings
Primary Care
Country
Canada
Publishing Organisation
Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI)
Type of Quality Indicator
Process
IOM Quality Dimension
Effectiveness
Domain
Medications and Medication Management
Defining Attributes
Definition
The average number of distinct drug classes with at least one claim accepted by a public drug program for seniors.
Numerator
Number of distinct drug classes (as defined by WHO ATC classification level 4) with at least one claim accepted by a public drug program for a senior, summed for all seniors on public drug programs
Denominator
Total number of seniors with at least one claim accepted by a public drug program
Exclusions
Use of Risk Adjustment
No
Risk Adjustments
None
Stratifications
Collection and Reporting Attributes
Type of Data Collection
Administrative data
Data Collection Methods
National Prescription Drug Utilisation Information System (NPDUIS) Database
Frequency of Data Collection
Whenever it is required for analytical product or data request
Frequency of Data Collection in Days
Reporting Methods
Reporting Frequency
Annually (2000 - 2016)
Reporting Frequency in Days
365
Indicator Has Recommended Targets
No
Source and Reference Attributes
Technical Specifications
Link to Measurement Tools
Quality Indicator Confirmed to be Part of a Program Used to Monitor Quality and Safety of Care Among Older People at a Population-Level between 2012-2022
Yes
Assessed by the Australian Consortium for Aged Care Collaborators as Generally Containing Good Properties (Importance and Scientific Acceptability)
No
Australian Consortium for Aged Care Endorsed
No
Identified by PHARMA-Care Project
No
Upload Date
02 December 2025
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Actions
Date Modified 02 December 2025