Released on May 9, 2013
The Ministry of Health and the Pharmacists’ Association of Saskatchewan (PAS) have recently reached a one-year pharmacy agreement.
“Pharmacists are key partners in health system efforts to provide quality care to patients,” Health Minister Dustin Duncan said. “Our government has a positive working relationship with pharmacists in Saskatchewan. We will continue the dialogue with PAS and its members about generic drug pricing implications and options for Saskatchewan, with the understanding that this is a rapidly-evolving area in health care.”
On April 1, prices of six of the most common generic drugs were reduced to 18 per cent of brand drug cost to provide savings to Saskatchewan residents. Government recognizes lower generic pricing has impacted pharmacy revenues, and has committed to reinvesting some of those savings back into pharmacy services.
In recent years, the Ministry of Health has supported a number of significant initiatives and programs, including enhanced pharmacist prescribing services, to enable pharmacists to progress toward working to their full scope of practice and to provide important medication management services for Saskatchewan residents.
Highlights of the new agreement include:
- A restructured medication assessment program with pharmacies receiving an annual assessment fee for providing services to eligible seniors aged 65 and over who are taking chronic medications and living in the community.
- Compensating pharmacists for assistance provided under the Partnership to Assist in the Cessation of Tobacco (PACT) Program. Currently, pharmacies incur these costs. This comprehensive program will enable pharmacists to continue providing both brief and intensive tobacco cessation interventions to support eligible residents in their efforts to stop smoking.
- A 50-cent increase in the prescription dispensing fee to $10.75 effective May 1, 2013.
“We are very appreciative of the government’s collaborative and reasoned approach in a challenging and complex environment,” PAS Executive Director Dawn Martin said. “PAS is committed to creating, collectively with the Ministry of Health, a longer-term strategy for pharmacy and pharmacist services in the province. The program expansions and fee increase noted in the agreement has operationalized the reinvestment commitment the government made in January. It is an important beginning to a longer-term framework.”
There are approximately 1,300 practising pharmacists and more than 350 licensed community pharmacies in Saskatchewan.
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For more information, contact:
Tyler McMurchy
Health
Regina
Phone: 306-787-4083
Cell: 306-537-3594