Analysis of Trends in Insulin Utilization and Spending Across Canada From 2010 to 2015

To describe insulin utilization and spending across Canada and investigate how interprovincial variations in long-acting insulin uptake impact provincial spending.

We conducted a cross-sectional time-series analysis of insulin products dispensed nationally from January 1, 2010, to December 31, 2015, using data from IQVIA (Durham, North Carolina, United States). Analysis was stratified according to insulin type, payer and province. We report annual numbers for national insulin dispensing and spending and provincial numbers for publicly funded long-acting insulin dispensing and spending rates that are standardized by public drug beneficiary enrolment and diabetes prevalence. We report the percent of change of an annual provincial cost-to-utilization index of total insulin spending to total insulin dispensing between 2010 and 2015.

Between 2010 and 2015, total insulin utilization increased 21% (4.4 million to 5.3 million prescriptions), and total insulin costs increased 54% ($345 million to $530 million) nationally. The national dispensing rate of long-acting insulin (+96%) and rapid-acting insulin (+38%) increased, while the national dispensing rate for intermediate-acting (-23%), short-acting (-37%) and premixed (-28%) insulins declined. Large interprovincial variation was observed for the rate of long-acting insulin uptake (range, Alberta, +1,505%; British Columbia, +27%) and the rate of long-acting insulin spending (Alberta, +2,177%; British Columbia, +44%) between 2010 and 2015 after standardization. Provinces with higher rates of long-acting insulin uptake experienced faster increases in their cost-to-utilization index (Alberta, +78%; British Columbia, +24%).

Overall, the rate of uptake of long-acting insulins has increased nationally. Uptake varies widely among provinces and is likely to be associated with differential cost increases across public payers in Canada.