Pharmacies and their staff are also on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis

As a Canadian, I feel very fortunate to be living in a country and a province that have the capacity and ability to offer financial support to Canadians impacted by the COVID-19 crisis and to help citizens afford to stay at home.

Through this open letter, I call on the federal and provincial governments to extend similar measures of support for pharmacists and pharmacy teams who are working on the front line in the fight against the coronavirus outbreak.

Some governments, like in the United States for instance, have introduced the HEROES Act which gives health care workers (including pharmacists and pharmacy technicians) a break from federal tax withholding for four months on income up to $150,000 annually, with income beyond that amount taxed at its regular rate. In England, the government has introduced a $500-million cash boost to community pharmacies, which while it would eventually get reconciled at a later date, it still affirms the importance of supporting pharmacies during this challenging time. In Scotland, community pharmacies will receive an initial $9.5 million in funding to support them during the pandemic. That funding is also in addition to a three-month advance payment. In Australia, the government is giving grants for up to $25,000 to support pharmacies in their crucial role serving their communities. Other countries are subsidizing the cost of increased home deliveries so that they are not born by pharmacy … and there are so many other examples to mention from around the world.

In Canada, like all of those other countries above, pharmacies did stand up to the crisis. It’s now time for the federal and provincial governments to stand up for pharmacies.

To that extent, for the duration of this pandemic, I am calling on the prime minister and the premiers to recognize front line pharmacists as essential health care providers, to supply them with personal protective equipment and to offer them economic relief in the form of an income tax holiday and a wage increase subsidy.

More specifically in Ontario, I am calling on the government to implement a holiday on the cuts and reconciliation adjustments imposed on pharmacies since Jan. 1, 2020. Earlier in the year, the government introduced policy changes and amendments to the Ontario Drug Benefit Act and its regulation (Ontario Regulation 201/96) which reduce the amount paid to pharmacies for claims submitted to the Ontario Drug Benefit program beginning Jan. 1, 2020, and ending March 31, 2023.

Pharmacies have been incurring significant costs to continue to operate during this pandemic. Those additional costs are putting a strain on pharmacies’ cash flow, especially small independent pharmacies. These costs include paying overtime for staff, paying higher wages, paying agency fees for locum or temporary staffing contracts, hiring additional delivery drivers, offering more deliveries at no charge to help Canadians stay at home, carrying higher inventory levels to meet the increased demand, making changes to their premises, installing protective counter screens, etc.

While pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and pharmacy staff are not bearing directly the impact of

They are still feeling the burden of the health and mental pressures from risking their lives every day on the front line. Real heroes who are putting their patients’ well-being ahead of their own.

these added costs as the pharmacy owners are, they are still feeling the burden of the health and mental pressures from risking their lives every day on the front line. Real heroes who are putting their patients’ well-being ahead of their own.

Pharmacies’ role in building healthier communities has never been more essential. Such support measure from the government would ease some of the financial burden to ensure the continued sustainability of the much-needed pharmacy services during this critical time. More importantly, it would be a tangible testament from the government to the unique value of pharmacists as the front line of defence in the ongoing fight against this challenging unprecedented public health crisis.

Sherif Guorgui is co-CEO/chief strategy, stakeholder and government relations officer at On Pharm-United. With over 600 members across the province, On Pharm United is Ontario’s fastest growing network of independent pharmacy owners. Its mission is focused on strengthening our members to help their business and practice thrive through offering a wide range of professional development and continuing education programs, pharmacy services, operational and front-shop merchandizing support, as well as advocacy and representation with government and industry stakeholders to ensure the voice of independent pharmacy is heard. www.onpharmunited.ca