NUMBER CRUNCHING Prescribing safety Prescription drug use, misuse and abuse are getting a lot of attention from government, drug safety advocates and health-care professionals – and for good reason, as the numbers are quite compelling. 410,000 canadians report abusing prescription drugs in 2012 Source: Health Canada 10,000 deaths/year in Canada due to prescription drugs Source: Terrence Young, Member of Parliament $24 billion amount Canadians spend on prescription drugs Source: Terrence Young, Member of Parliament Up to $9 billion money wasted yearly on prescription drug overuse/misuse Source: Canadian Pharmacists Association