New GreenShield report finds chronic disease driving growth in prescription drug spending

GreenShield’s 2026 Drug Trends Report found prescription drug costs rose 9.5% in 2025, driven by growing demand for diabetes, weight management and other chronic conditions, reinforcing the need for earlier intervention and more integrated approaches to care.

TORONTO, Sept. 29, 2026 /CNW/ — Chronic disease is increasingly reshaping Canada’s health care landscape and driving continued growth in prescription drug spending. According to GreenShield’s 2026 Drug Trends Report, drug costs rose 9.5 per cent in 2025, reflecting growing demand for treatments related to diabetes, obesity, and other chronic conditions. Costs related to diabetes and weight management treatments increased 47.7 per cent year over year, highlighting the growing impact of chronic disease on benefit plans.

The annual report from GreenShield, Canada’s only national non-profit health care and insurance organization, is based on nearly 39 million drug claims adjudicated in 2025. It examines emerging trends across chronic disease management, weight management, and mental health, alongside the growing use of biologics and other innovative therapies.

The findings highlight a significant shift in Canadian health care, as chronic disease becomes a larger driver of health care utilization and prescription drug spending. At the same time, advances in drug innovation are creating new opportunities to improve patient outcomes, raising important questions about how plan sponsors can continue to provide access to effective treatments while managing rising costs.

“The real story behind these findings is the growing impact of chronic disease on Canadians and the health system that supports them,” said Mark Rolnick, Executive Vice President, Head of Provider Solutions at GreenShield. “As more people live with chronic conditions such as diabetes and obesity, the conversation must move beyond treatment alone. Earlier intervention, prevention and more integrated models of care can help improve long-term health outcomes while ensuring innovative therapies deliver sustainable value for patients, plan sponsors, and the health system.”

2026 Drug Trends Report Key Findings

The report highlights three interconnected trends reshaping Canada’s health care landscape: the growing burden of chronic disease, the emergence of innovative therapies that are transforming treatment pathways, and the increasing need for integrated approaches that improve outcomes while supporting long-term sustainability.

Chronic disease is driving demand for treatment and care

• Total drug costs increased 9.5% in 2025, reaching $3 billion.
• Claim prevalence increased across several chronic and common conditions, including weight management, diabetes and ADHD, reflecting growing demand for treatment and care.
• Demand for ADHD treatment continued to grow in 2025, with prevalence among women increasing 15% year over year.

Innovative therapies are reshaping treatment pathways and costs

• Semaglutide products accounted for 6.6% of total drug costs in 2025 and grew 47.7% year over year.
• The number of claimants using weight management medications increased 42% compared to 2024, making it one of the fastest-growing therapeutic categories.
• Total costs for diabetes medications in the $2,000 to $2,999 range increased 594% in 2025, while the number of claimants rose 374.3%, reflecting the growing use of newer therapies and their impact on drug plan spending.
• The anticipated introduction of generic semaglutide could increase market competition and help ease future spending pressures.

New approaches to care are expanding treatment options

• Treatment with weight management medications was associated with lower rates of diabetes and respiratory conditions, as well as modest reductions in inflammatory arthritis and neuropathic pain, highlighting potential benefits beyond weight management alone.
• Mental health medication use continued to grow in 2025, while spending growth moderated, potentially reflecting increased use of non-pharmacological supports such as talk therapy.

The findings point to a fundamental shift in Canada’s health care landscape. As chronic disease becomes a larger driver of health care utilization and prescription drug spending, improving outcomes will require more than access to medication alone. Sustainable progress will depend on earlier intervention, prevention and more connected models of care that help Canadians manage their health before conditions become more complex and costly.

Addressing that challenge requires a more integrated approach that connects coverage with care. Through GreenShield+™, Canada’s first-of-its-kind integrated health care and insurance digital ecosystem, users can access their benefits along with personalized health care services such as mental health support, women’s health programs, nutrition counselling and chronic disease management programs all in one easy-to-use platform. The result is a more connected, whole-health approach that helps Canadians prevent, manage and navigate chronic conditions more effectively.

But even with advances in treatment and more connected models of care, access remains a significant barrier. For many chronic conditions, medications are a cornerstone of effective disease management, yet more than one million Canadians still lack prescription drug coverage. Closing these gaps is critical to improving outcomes and preventing chronic conditions from becoming more difficult and costly to manage.

“The findings underscore a simple reality: the earlier people can access the care and medications they need, the better their chances of preventing more serious health challenges down the road,” said Mandy Mail, Executive Vice President, GreenShield Cares. “Expanding access is not only important for individuals, it’s an opportunity to improve long-term health outcomes and build a more sustainable health system for everyone.”

Expanding access to essential medicines is an important part of GreenShield’s mission to advance Better Health for All. That’s why GreenShield launched its Essential Medicines Program in 2023, helping ensure eligible Canadians do not go without the medications they need because of cost. Designed to address health equity gaps, the program provides up to $1,000 annually in prescription drug coverage for Canadians without public or private drug plans and is currently available in Ontario, Nova Scotia, Alberta and British Columbia. GreenShield has helped more than 130,000 Canadians access essential medicines to date.

About GreenShield 

As Canada’s only national non-profit health care and insurance organization, GreenShield believes health care is a right, not a privilege. We’re dedicated to improving health outcomes, driving systemic change, and building a future where every Canadian can reach their full health and well-being potential. 

We are revolutionizing the health care and insurance experience by bringing coverage and care together in one place. Through our unique integrated payer-provider (“payvider”) model, we offer insurance, administer benefits, and pay claims as a ‘payer’ while offering health care services such as mental health, pharmacy, telemedicine, and chronic disease management as a ‘provider’. 

As a non-profit social enterprise without shareholders, we reinvest our excess earnings to directly support underserved communities. Through GreenShield Cares, we positively impacted the health and well-being of over one million Canadians between 2020 and 2025. 

What’s driving us now is the commitment to measurably impact an additional three million Canadians by 2030 – across mental health, essential medicines, and chronic disease management – through scalable initiatives that deliver meaningful change in pursuit of our mission of Better Health for All. 

GreenShield is proud to be recognized multiple times as one of Canada’s Most Admired Corporate Cultures, certified annually as a leading Imagine Canada Caring Company, and honoured with repeat placement on Fortune’s prestigious Change the World list – a testament to our sustained commitment to purpose-driven innovation and impact.

SOURCE GreenShield