Evaluating the Impact of Prescription Drug Coverage on Emergency Department Visits in Youth: Evidence From Ontario's OHIP+ Program

Abstract

This thesis examines the impact of Ontario’s OHIP+ program (introduced January 2018) to provide prescription coverage to youths <25, on suicide-related behavior (SRB) emergency department (ED) visits among youth. Using interrupted time series (ITS) and comparative ITS (CITS) analyses, the study assessed changes in SRB-related ED visits per 100,000 population overall and by socioeconomic status (SES). Youth with low-SES, less likely to have private insurance and more likely to benefit from OHIP+, were compared to high-SES youth. ITS results showed a significant immediate reduction in SRB-related ED visits after OHIP+ implementation (-9.39, 95% CI: -18.21 to -0.56). CITS results showed a larger immediate decline among low-SES youth (-19.61, 95% CI: -37.71 to -1.50), reducing rates from 54.11 to 45.90 per 100,000, with stronger effects among women. Findings suggest drug coverage can reduce youth mental health crises and support expanded pharmacare.