Grant: Foundation Grant

Most Canadians are proud that their health care system provides services on the basis of need rather than ability to pay. Yet Canadians spend billions of dollars out of their own pockets every year for one of the most commonly used and important forms of health care: prescription drugs. For 1 in 10 Canadians, these costs mean they do not take their prescriptions. Dr. Michael Law studies the impact of these out-of-pocket patient costs as well as government policies on the access to and use of prescription drugs. Dr. Law has published in several leading medical journals, and has been featured in news media such as, the Globe & Mail, CBC's The National, Forbes, and the New York Times. He has also authored commentaries in the Toronto Star and Vancouver Sun. His research has led directly to several policy changes. For example, his work on generic drug pricing led to Pan-Canadian changes that have saved Canadians more than $100 million each year. Since his appointment at UBC, he has received several notable awards, including the Labelle Lectureship at McMaster University, a Distinguished Achievement Award from the UBC Faculty of Medicine, and the Paper of the Year Award from CIHR's Institute for Health Services and Policy Research. Prior to joining UBC, he completed a PhD in Health Policy at Harvard University. His research in this proposed CIHR-funded program includes studies on the affordability of prescription drugs, the impact of drug plan deductibles, evaluations of policy changes enacted by governments, and the impact of changes in HIV treatment regimes. His work will focus on both domestic issues in Canada and similar issues in international settings. For example, this year he is working in Rwanda as a visiting professor at Harvard Medical School. The results of Dr. Law's work will help people receive the effective medicines they need at a reasonable cost, in Canada and abroad.