Pharmacists to feel the pain of planned cuts to services
PHARMACISTS RALLY ACROSS THE PROVINCE
Pharmacists around the province, including Lethbridge, rallied on Thursday against what they see as cuts to frontline pharmacy services by the NDP government.
A group of about 50 pharmacists and their supporters started in Galt Gardens and made their way to the downtown office of Lethbridge West MLA Shannon Phillips, where they chanted and gave speeches.
The province announced a collaborative funding framework in February between the provincial government and the Alberta Pharmacists’ Association to reduce costs.
The agreement includes a $150million reduction over two years to curb growth of spending on government-sponsored drug programs and is expected to start implementation by May 17.
The province has stated the savings will equate to $100 per year each for more than 8,700 seniors, with some individuals with significant prescription costs saving as much as $500 annually.
Health Minister Sarah Hoffman has stated in Question Period that pharmacy spending costs will be reduced from 12.3 per cent to 4.3 per cent over the next two years.
But pharmacists are saying that number will be attained by cutting directly into pharmacy compensation, putting them between rising prescription costs and cost-cutting efforts by the government.
“By saying (4.3 per cent), she’s either misinformed or lying,” said local pharmacist Zak Murakami. “Either way, we need to reach out to (the public and the government) and correct this misinformation.”
“The government is saying they are going to be saving seniors roughly 100 dollars,” said Jaclyn Katelnikoff, a local clinical pharmacist. “We don’t know where they got that number from. They won’t share it with us.”
Katelnikoff said she believes the number may have come from federal efforts to reduce the cost of generic medication.
“The cuts to frontline services are not saving seniors money,” she said. “A $.15 per dispensing fee (reduction) is not going to save them $100 per year.”
Rapidly rising drug costs, largely due to the inclusion and increased availability of high-cost biologic medication, are causing a large part of the increases, according to Murakami.
He said the government is reducing this increase to the advertised 4.3 per cent by making 15 per cent in cuts to the $500million portion of the budget which represents community pharmacy compensation.
“The giant problem here is that community pharmacies are being used to subsidize rising drug costs,” said Murakami.
“We need to get out there and educate people about what’s going on here, and what the government is publicly saying is not true.”
Ellie Chinook, a local resident, spoke at the event in a show of support of her pharmacist.
“I think it’s very important that when we are looking at the pharmacy budget as a province, we separate the patient care and the drug aspect,” she said. “The front-line care is where we really need help right now. We’re in the middle of a national health crisis. We are short family doctors in our community. Pharmacists are on the front line. They are medical access that anyone can get to.”
Speaking with media in Edmonton on Thursday, Hoffman said costs associated with pharmacy services are some of the highest in the country.
“What we have is a funding model that is higher than almost every jurisdiction in Canada,” she said. “A lot of our fees are still by far the highest or tied for the highest.”
“We do need a sustainable system that puts patients first and we believe a 4.3 per cent increase to the pharmacy line item is pretty reasonable and generous, given the difficult financial situation the province finds itself in.”
Katelnikoff said pharmacists are disappointed in the direction the government has taken on this issue.
“The cost of drugs is going up,” she said. “So pharmacists are being held responsible and they are cutting their budget directly from us.”
She said it is hoped the government will renegotiate the cuts to find something more sustainable.