The province’s pharmacists association claims it wasn’t consulted on the measure
The head of Manitoba’s pharmacist association has spoken out against a planned cap on pharmacy dispensing fees for provincial drug programs — a move the provincial government said will take effect this summer.
“This policy will affect the dispensing of medications for thousands and thousands of Manitobans and can potentially impact hundreds of independent businesses around Manitoba,” Pharmacists Manitoba Board President Barret Procyshyn said in a statement, according to CBC News.
Right now, pharmacies are free to decide how much they will charge based on overhead costs, profit margins, and market movements. However, the cap to be implemented on Aug. 18 — which Manitoba pharmacists were not consulted on — will have provincial programs charge no more than $30 for each prescription, irrespective of a drug’s cost or how it’s packaged.
Under the Pharmacare program, the cap will be the same for medicinal ingredients that are mixed and prepared specifically for an individual patient’s needs. But for drugs that have to be mixed in sterile conditions, the cap will be higher at $60.
Health Minister Kevin Goertzen said the changes are expected to result in savings of around $11 million annually. The province also said it will make certain that pharmacies’ dispensing costs are still recouped.
“This is about patient safety, and about availability of specialized medication such as cancer medications and biologics, particularly in rural areas,” Procyshyn said. “By cutting support for these procedures, the government may either reduce the availability of the service, or see the costs passed directly to patients, or both.”
While Pharmacists Manitoba appreciates the need for austerity measures given the Pallister government’s cost-cutting mandate, according to Procyshyn, there’s still a need to “consult meaningfully” with pharmacists to make sure adverse impacts on Manitobans are avoided.
But according to a Manitoba Health spokesperson, the association was informed in a meeting on May 2 “that a policy addressing changes to high cost drug dispensing fees would be communicated to pharmacists as early as this summer.”
“It was agreed that Pharmacists Manitoba could recommend 'guiding principles' to [the provincial drug program] for consideration in the policy development,” the representative said. “On May 17, 2017, [Pharmacists Manitoba] sent a letter outlining policy development guiding principles to the province."
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“This policy will affect the dispensing of medications for thousands and thousands of Manitobans and can potentially impact hundreds of independent businesses around Manitoba,” Pharmacists Manitoba Board President Barret Procyshyn said in a statement, according to CBC News.
Right now, pharmacies are free to decide how much they will charge based on overhead costs, profit margins, and market movements. However, the cap to be implemented on Aug. 18 — which Manitoba pharmacists were not consulted on — will have provincial programs charge no more than $30 for each prescription, irrespective of a drug’s cost or how it’s packaged.
Under the Pharmacare program, the cap will be the same for medicinal ingredients that are mixed and prepared specifically for an individual patient’s needs. But for drugs that have to be mixed in sterile conditions, the cap will be higher at $60.
Health Minister Kevin Goertzen said the changes are expected to result in savings of around $11 million annually. The province also said it will make certain that pharmacies’ dispensing costs are still recouped.
“This is about patient safety, and about availability of specialized medication such as cancer medications and biologics, particularly in rural areas,” Procyshyn said. “By cutting support for these procedures, the government may either reduce the availability of the service, or see the costs passed directly to patients, or both.”
While Pharmacists Manitoba appreciates the need for austerity measures given the Pallister government’s cost-cutting mandate, according to Procyshyn, there’s still a need to “consult meaningfully” with pharmacists to make sure adverse impacts on Manitobans are avoided.
But according to a Manitoba Health spokesperson, the association was informed in a meeting on May 2 “that a policy addressing changes to high cost drug dispensing fees would be communicated to pharmacists as early as this summer.”
“It was agreed that Pharmacists Manitoba could recommend 'guiding principles' to [the provincial drug program] for consideration in the policy development,” the representative said. “On May 17, 2017, [Pharmacists Manitoba] sent a letter outlining policy development guiding principles to the province."
Related stories:
Canada’s pharmacists push to be main marijuana distributor
Quebec government move to bring pharmacy fees in line
