Chronic Disease Drives 9.5% Surge in Canadian Prescription Drug Spending
Event summary
- GreenShield's 2026 Drug Trends Report reveals a 9.5% increase in prescription drug costs in 2025, driven by chronic diseases like diabetes and obesity.
- Diabetes and weight management treatments saw a 47.7% year-over-year cost increase.
- Semaglutide products accounted for 6.6% of total drug costs in 2025, growing 47.7% year over year.
- Over 39 million drug claims were adjudicated in 2025, highlighting the growing burden of chronic disease.
- GreenShield's Essential Medicines Program has helped over 130,000 Canadians access essential medicines since 2023.
The big picture
The report underscores a fundamental shift in Canada's healthcare landscape, where chronic disease is becoming the primary driver of prescription drug spending. This trend is exacerbated by the growing use of innovative therapies like semaglutide, which, while improving patient outcomes, are also increasing costs. GreenShield's integrated payer-provider model and digital ecosystem, GreenShield+, aim to address these challenges by connecting coverage with care, but access remains a significant barrier for over one million Canadians without prescription drug coverage.
What we're watching
- Cost Management
- How GreenShield and other insurers will manage rising drug costs amid chronic disease prevalence.
- Innovation Impact
- Whether the introduction of generic semaglutide will ease future spending pressures.
- Access Expansion
- The pace at which GreenShield can expand its Essential Medicines Program to more provinces.
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