Will Dunderdale Government protect you from this?

As you are aware the Council of Independent Community Pharmacy Owners has been advising the public and media that changes occurring in Pharmacy Policies throughout Canada may be detrimental to you - the patient.

Recently in Ontario, the College of Pharmacists licensed a mail order pharmacy. This pharmacy located in one physical location - Express Scripts Canada Pharmacy - is promoting the transfer of your prescription from the local pharmacy to them. The medications they are interested in are "maintenance" medications for ongoing chronic conditions.

They promote the advantage of home delivery and say "you will have no need for monthly trips to the retail pharmacy" - and "free" delivery my mail.

They are pleased to advise you to have a 30 day supply on hand before you convert to them - presumably from your local pharmacy.

See the Video Here

Now consider for a moment that all patients of a local pharmacy convert to a mail in pharmacy - what happens to the local pharmacy? I think we can all be wary that your local pharmacy would not survive. Then when you need medications which are not "maintenance" such as anti-biotics or a supply of life saving medications after just having been released from a hospital - where do you go?

If you do not have an insurer or cannot have access to the mail-in pharmacy where do you go?

In the event of a change in medication to take affect immediately - where do you go?

If you want to consult with your pharmacist in person - where do you go?

Perhaps you live in the city and a big chain store is near by - no problem for you right? Well who knows? What if you live in a community where there is only one independent pharmacy what will you do?

The video compares shopping online and banking online to prescriptions online - that is irresponsible. This is your health. This is your health care professional and access.

If you are a cash paying customer or one that is on income assistance where do you go?

If the weather is bad - delayed delivery - where do you go?

This American headquartered company wants all the constant prescriptions without having to deal face to face with you the patients. They also do not want the medications that are once only or infrequent prescriptions. They want to suck all the profits they can away from your community, your province and your neighbourhoods.

What does this have to do with you in Newfoundland and Labrador. The answer to that is two-fold.

1. When contacting the mail order pharmacy by phone - the person on the phone says they expect to be able to deliver services in Newfoundland and Labrador (eastern provinces) by March or May.

2. This is the same company that is attempting to negotiate a contract with independent pharmacies in Newfoundland and Labrador for the acceptance of the Desjardins Card. Obviously they are in a conflict and we now have to deal with that. By the way that would be all provincial government employees.

Now to see what the American Version of the video shows: Press HERE

Here they talk about the accuracy and numbers of prescriptions they fill. How would we know that? Is that going to be allowed in Canada?

One thing is for sure - we must stand up for community and neighbourhood based pharmacies before it is too late.

A final note: they claim you MAY save money. What we will do is keep funneling health care dollars out of our communities and province along with direct personal access to health care professionals. That saves nobody money - but can destroy a very exceptional pharmacy network.