While advisors are doing their part to educate plan sponsors and employees about the cost of drugs a CBC investigation shows pharmacists might not be doing their part.
While advisors are doing their part to educate plan sponsors and employees about the cost of drugs a CBC investigation shows pharmacists might not be doing their part to combat costs.
By ensuring employees are using the correct drugs pharmacists can drive health care costs down as well as reduce the amount of days lost due to illness. But a CBC Marketplace investigation revealed many pharmacists may not be conducting important screening required to keep Canadians safe from dangerous drug interactions.
Out of 50 pharmacies tested in nine cities visits, only 23 provided any kind of counselling and none caught potentially dangerous drug interactions. More than half — 27 of the 50 stores tested — handed over the drugs with no counselling.
The more than 38,000 pharmacists across the country fill over half a billion doctor prescriptions every year, but are also required to ensure medications don’t interact in potentially dangerous ways.
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In each case, a Marketplace tester asked for a Schedule 2 drug — which do not require a prescription but are kept behind the counter because they require pharmacist oversight — and documented the interaction with a hidden camera.
Pharmacists in Canada are regulated by provincial colleges that establish standards of practice. Every jurisdiction requires that pharmacists counsel people who buy Schedule 2 drugs to ensure they are using them appropriately.
While more than half of the pharmacists tested by Marketplace failed to provide required counselling, Jane Farnham, chair of the Canadian Pharmacists Association told the CBC, “That's not the norm. We pharmacists are committed to providing the highest quality of patient service and responsible patient education.”
By ensuring employees are using the correct drugs pharmacists can drive health care costs down as well as reduce the amount of days lost due to illness. But a CBC Marketplace investigation revealed many pharmacists may not be conducting important screening required to keep Canadians safe from dangerous drug interactions.
Out of 50 pharmacies tested in nine cities visits, only 23 provided any kind of counselling and none caught potentially dangerous drug interactions. More than half — 27 of the 50 stores tested — handed over the drugs with no counselling.
The more than 38,000 pharmacists across the country fill over half a billion doctor prescriptions every year, but are also required to ensure medications don’t interact in potentially dangerous ways.
Are you one of Canada's hottest life and health insurance advisors?
In each case, a Marketplace tester asked for a Schedule 2 drug — which do not require a prescription but are kept behind the counter because they require pharmacist oversight — and documented the interaction with a hidden camera.
Pharmacists in Canada are regulated by provincial colleges that establish standards of practice. Every jurisdiction requires that pharmacists counsel people who buy Schedule 2 drugs to ensure they are using them appropriately.
While more than half of the pharmacists tested by Marketplace failed to provide required counselling, Jane Farnham, chair of the Canadian Pharmacists Association told the CBC, “That's not the norm. We pharmacists are committed to providing the highest quality of patient service and responsible patient education.”
