Patients treated for mental illness face more barriers for medication approval and access, study finds - CTV News [2023-11-14]

A new study has found that patients being treated for mental illness in Canada wait “far too long” for medication approval and face “inequitable access” across the country.

The study from the Mood Disorders Society of Canada, titled “System Broken,”(opens in a new tab) finds Canadians who depend on public drug plans are especially disadvantaged.

“As we face a widespread and growing mental health crisis, the need to change our broken system is clear,” the report says. “The insights detailed in this report indicate that there are inherent gaps in Canadians’ access to medications for mental illnesses – gaps that illuminate inequity, including time delays, and highlight how mental illness continues to be stigmatized in our society.”

Once Health Canada determines if medications are safe and effective, private insurance plans help cover the cost of these prescriptions.

This study found 42 per cent of those surveyed rely on a public drug plan, a three per cent increase since 2015.