The transition from youth to adult mental health services and the economic impact on youth and their families

The transition from Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) to Adult Mental Health Services (AMHS) can be challenging for youth, their families, and healthcare providers. The purpose of this study was to identify, summarize, and assess evidence found in scholarly literature regarding the economic impact on youth and their families during the transition from CAMHS to AMHS. Relevant studies were identified through a search of 7 electronic platforms. The search identified 829 articles; 5 of which met all inclusion criteria. Evidence from the included studies suggests that, when continuity of care is lacking, transitions from CAMHS to AMHS have substantial impacts on the financial demands of youth and their families. These demands are due to increases in the cost of care, loss of employment income and productivity, and changes in insurance coverage. However, there remains limited information in this area, which highlights the need for further research. </jats:p

House of Commonss Standing Committee on Health: Development of a National Pharmacare Program

Canada should implement national pharmacare consistent with the principles outlined in the Pharmacare 2020 report. (Morgan et al. 2015a) The best evidence we have shows that national pharmacare will save approximately $7 billion and — more importantly — hundreds of lives each year. (Morgan et al. 2015b) The issue, then, is not whether to institute national pharmacare, but how. For, even though the need for national pharmacare has been plain since the 1964 Hall Commission, the landscape of medicine and pharmaceuticals has changed dramatically since then. Of particular note is the pharmaceutical industry’s growing interest in drugs that target relatively small patient populations — often described interchangeably as ‘orphan’, ‘niche’, or ‘specialty’ drugs — in the pursuit of so-called ‘personalized’ or ‘precision medicine.’ This brief focuses specifically on the challenges posed by the push for more personalized medicine. These challenges serve to underscore why national pharmacare is needed, and define some of its essential features