Two-thirds of Canadians living with eczema who took part in a new survey say they have trouble finding a treatment that keeps the condition under control over the long term, according to Benefits and Pensions Monitor. The Eczema Society of Canada (ESC) released the findings on Friday, as Eczema Awareness Month began in November.
The survey, titled The Burden of Eczema in Canada, drew on responses from 389 adults across the country who said a health care provider had diagnosed them. According to Benefits and Pensions Monitor, 65% of respondents said eczema affects their quality of life, and 54% said it affects their mental health.
"These findings reinforce that eczema is more than a skin condition," ESC executive director Amanda Cresswell-Melville said, per Benefits and Pensions Monitor. She described it as a chronic disease that can deeply affect physical health, mental well-being and quality of life.
Cresswell-Melville also said landmarks across Canada will be lit blue during November to draw attention to the burden of eczema and to what she called an urgent need for timely diagnosis, better care and fair access to effective treatments.
Why it matters
Atopic dermatitis, the most common form of eczema, is a long-term inflammatory skin condition. It causes dry, itchy skin and flare-ups that can crack, ooze and bleed. A 2025 consensus paper by 10 Canadian dermatologists, cited by Benefits and Pensions Monitor, put prevalence at roughly 15% among children and 4% among adults.
Beyond the physical symptoms, the survey points to money as a major obstacle. One in four respondents said treating their eczema had created a financial burden, a figure that climbed to 32% among people with severe eczema. Thirteen percent said cost worries had delayed the start of a prescription treatment, rising to 26% in severe cases.
The gap also appeared along racial lines. Respondents who identified as persons with skin of colour or as BIPOC reported financial strain more often, at 39%, compared with 21% of white respondents. Among the concerns respondents listed was anxiety about being prescribed a medicine their drug plan would not cover.
Drug plan spending climbs as skin biologics expand
Private insurers are seeing the effects of wider access to newer medicines. TELUS Health reported in April that skin disorders had become the second-largest drug category in Canadian private plans, accounting for 9.9% of total eligible spending, with costs up 13.6% in 2025. The company linked the rise to biologics such as Dupixent shifting into first-line use for atopic dermatitis and psoriasis.
Medavie Blue Cross separately reported a 50.7% trend increase for biologics used in inflammatory skin conditions, as more atopic dermatitis patients move to treatments that cost more than $2,000 a month.
"More people in Canada are using their drug plans and they're accessing treatments that were unattainable a few years ago," Vicky Lee, a pharmacist and director of pharmacy consulting and professional services at TELUS Health, said, according to Benefits and Pensions Monitor.
Hand eczema and a newly reimbursed cream
ESC notes that hand eczema is often linked to work and can be aggravated by frequent hand washing and contact with chemicals. Canada's Drug Agency estimates that chronic hand eczema affects 6.2% of adults. A separate ESC survey of 230 people with hand eczema, conducted between June and October 2025, described effects on work, relationships and mental health.
Treatment options have grown. Health Canada approved delgocitinib cream (Anzupgo) in August 2025. On Nov. 13, 2025, Canada's Drug Agency issued a final recommendation that public plans cover the drug with conditions, including a price no higher than alitretinoin, though the agency said it does not represent good value at the public list price. Manufacturer LEO Pharma said in September it had completed a letter of intent with the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance, a step toward public reimbursement.
In December 2025, nursing associations wrote to Canada's chief nursing officer asking that chronic hand eczema be treated as a significant occupational health issue.
For plan sponsors and advisers, the figures point to skin-condition biologics as a growing cost line, while the ESC survey highlights gaps in access, affordability and workplace understanding for members.
What to watch: whether the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance concludes a formal reimbursement deal for delgocitinib cream, and whether plan sponsors adjust coverage as biologic spending for skin conditions keeps rising.
