TABLE 2.
Summary of weighted and unweighted coverage-agreement measures for all pairs of the nine provincial formularies studied, excluding special program drugs, 2006
| Rate of agreement to cover (%) | Kappa statistics | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Min | Med | Max | Min | Med | Max | |
| Unrestricted listings of 796 drugs | 37 | 47 | 54 | 0.46 | 0.60 | 0.74 |
| Unrestricted listings, weighted by $16.5 billion | 54 | 60 | 78 | 0.32 | 0.55 | 0.81 |
| Restricted listings of 796 drugs | 2 | 4 | 8 | 0.15 | 0.36 | 0.70 |
| Restricted listings, weighted by $16.5 billion | 2 | 13 | 22 | 0.11 | 0.46 | 0.78 |
| Total listings of 796 drugs | 49 | 59 | 65 | 0.49 | 0.64 | 0.72 |
| Total listings, weighted by $16.5 billion | 80 | 89 | 92 | 0.42 | 0.65 | 0.87 |
Notes: Weights are based on 2006 national retail sales data from IMS Health. “Listed” combines restricted and unrestricted coverage. “Special program drugs” include drugs primarily indicated to treat cancer, cystic fibrosis, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, multiple sclerosis, Gaucher's disease, pulmonary hypertension and thalassemia, as well as erythropoiesis-stimulating agents and human growth hormone.
Provinces studied: British Columbia (BC), Alberta (AB), Saskatchewan (SK), Manitoba (MB), Ontario (ON), Quebec (QC), New Brunswick (NB), Nova Scotia (NS) and Newfoundland and Labrador (NL).
Authors' calculations based on national retail sales data from IMS Health, Canada Inc. and provincial formulary listings from the Canadian Institute for Health Information and Conseil du médicament.