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A Canadian peer-reviewed journal of population health and health services research

June 2014

Prescription medication use by Canadians aged 6 to 79

by Michelle Rotermann, Claudia Sanmartin, Deirdre Hennessy and Michele Arthur

Prescription medications are the second most costly component of health care, accounting for almost 14% ($29 billion) of Canada’s annual health care spending in 2013. This largely reflects pharmacological management of chronic diseases and conditions (for instance, heart disease and high cholesterol, hypertension, diabetes4 and depression) and pregnancy prevention.


Prevalence of migraine in the Canadian household population

by Pamela L. Ramage-Morin and Heather Gilmour

Migraine can be a debilitating disorder characterized by pulsating headaches lasting from a few hours to several days, accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and/or sensitivity to light and sound. It is exacerbated by and tends to interfere with physical activity. Migraine usually occurs on one side of the head, although in children and youth it tends to be bilateral.

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