Prescribed Drug Spending per Capita
Identifying Attributes
Care Settings
Primary Care
Country
Canada
Publishing Organisation
Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI)
Type of Quality Indicator
Outcome
IOM Quality Dimension
Efficiency
Domain
Wait and System Planning / Access
Defining Attributes
Definition
The indicator measures how much is spent on prescribed drugs per person.
Numerator
Prescribed drug spending
Denominator
Population at provincial and national levels
Exclusions
Therapeutic drug products not requiring a prescription Personal health supplies Drugs dispensed in hospital and, generally, in other institutions
Use of Risk Adjustment
No
Risk Adjustments
None
Stratifications
Collection and Reporting Attributes
Type of Data Collection
Administrative data
Data Collection Methods
National Health Expenditure Database
Frequency of Data Collection
Annually
Frequency of Data Collection in Days
365
Reporting Methods
National health expenditure trends dashboard
Reporting Frequency
Annually
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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Date Modified 02 December 2025