Ontario pharmacists soften their tone

However, in contrast to the confrontational tone struck earlier in the week by industry giants Shoppers Drug Mart and Rexall—which included reduced pharmacy hours in Ontario Health Minister Deb Matthews’ London riding—McCutchon struck a more conciliatory note, focusing on the potential harm the changes will inflict on patients.

A pharmacy owner herself, she framed the debate over so-called “professional allowances” in terms of small towns and rural areas, which are likely to suffer most acutely from reduced service or closures.

“I think all of us in this room regret the situation we find ourselves in, where the government of Ontario either does not value or understand the vital role pharmacists play in providing healthcare to patients,” she said to the lab coat-garbed crowd. “Taking this money out of neighbourhood healthcare is a crippling blow to our patients, and to pharmacies themselves, especially to small independent ones like mine—which make up the majority of pharmacies in Ontario.”

Independent pharmacists now face the prospect of shortened hours, fewer staff, and closed businesses, she said, adding that while sponsors of benefit plans may enjoy up-front cost savings on generic drugs, these short-term benefits may ultimately be outweighed by lower quality service and reduced accessibility.

“Any time that service in pharmacies suffers—such as fewer pharmacists available to service plan members—then the plan suffers, regardless of whether prices come down,” she told Benefits Canada. “It’s a conversation that has to take place on the value of what pharmacy brings to the benefit managers and their plans and the care of their patients in terms of being healthy and productive.”

Following the government’s announcement that it will eliminate the $750 million in annual professional allowances paid to pharmacists by generic drug manufacturers, the pharmacy industry reacted aggressively with statements denouncing the cuts, targeted hour reductions, hiring freezes and warnings of impending charges for prescription drug deliveries.

Minister Matthews responded by warning pharmacists not to “hold patients hostage” by withholding services and accused some industry players of misinforming the public and unnecessarily spreading fear amongst patients.

“I remain absolutely committed, in fact more committed than ever, to move forward with the reforms that will clean up a system that has been open to abuse, that will bring down the cost of generic drugs,” she said.

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