Vitamin D deficiency and thyroid problems topped the list of conditions for which Quebecers received the most medication last year.
High blood pressure, heartburn, ADHD and pain come next, according to the Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ).
She recently released the list of the top-paying drugs in 2022 under public drug insurance, covering nearly four million people.
Combined, the top 10 most reimbursed drugs cost nearly $190 million last year.
For the President of the Order of Pharmacists of Quebec (OPQ), Bertrand Bolduc, the RAMQ list shows that the trends are stable. Year after year, more or less the same drugs top the list, partly because of our lifestyle choices.
“If we lost a little weight, ate a little less fat, and drank less alcohol, would we need these products the same way? That’s a good question,” he said.
thyroid problems
Unsurprisingly, hypothyroidism drug Synthroid topped the list for the fifth straight year.
“It’s one of the most common health problems in the world,” says OPQ’s Bertrand Bolduc.
The thyroid is the organ in the neck that produces hormones that help regulate our metabolism. The problems mainly affect older women.
Synthroid
- Over a million recipes
- 423,000 different people
- $38,834,000
Vitamin D deficiency
“In a northern place like Quebec [avec moins de soleil]it’s normal that we take a lot,” says Mr. Bolduc of drugs aimed at compensating for a lack of vitamin D. They are also commonly used to prevent osteoporosis in the elderly.
D tabs
- Over 820,000 recipes
- 416,000 different people
- $25,716,000
Jamp vitamin D
- Over 386,000 recipes
- 212,000 different people
- $12,225,000
stomach pain
dexilant
- Over 446,000 recipes
- 213,000 different people
- $27,556,000
hypertension
amlodipine
- Over 459,000 recipes
- 219,000 different people
- $18,893,000
Attention Deficit Disorder with or without Hyperactivity (ADHD)
In the past, the Concerta drug was more likely to be prescribed, but in 2022 it fell out of the RAMQ top 10 in favor of the Vyvanse drug.
Bertrand Bolduc points out that generic versions of the Concerta now exist, unlike the Vyvanse, which has not yet been copied.
Without a similar product to distribute the number of recipes, this could explain that Vyvanse’s remain more numerous.
Wyvanse
- Over 394,000 recipes
- 42,000 different people
- $23,532,000
Painkiller
Bertrand Bolduc argues that hydromorphone is “pms” for short-term pain, such as after an injury. Hydromorphone “Contin” is a long-term prescription for chronic pain.
“That’s a significant number of people,” he notes.
hydromorph continent
- Over 463,000 recipes
- 19,400 different people
- $12,195,000
pms hydromorphone
- Over 410,000 recipes
- 128,000 different people
- $4,114,000
Paracetamol Caplet 500
- Over 390,000 recipes
- 251,500 different people
- $10,553,000
Jamp-ASA (Acetylsalicylic Acid)
- Over 404,000 recipes
- 205,000 different people
- $16,000,000
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