Let's
see if the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador follows the lead of
provinces such as Ontario and closer to home Nova Scotia.
Generic price caps blamed for closure of Nova Scotia village pharmacy
(Carol Moreira - CanadianHealthcareNetwork)
The only pharmacy in the Nova Scotia village of Lawrencetown will close
this summer and critics are blaming the cap on the price of generic
drugs, introduced last year.
Pharmacy co-owner Rob Perry told the
Chronicle-Herald that lower generic prices played a role in the store's
closure, although rising costs and falling income also contributed.
"Economically, it's just not feasible. It's more expensive to run a
business than it was two years ago," Perry said. The Lawrencetown
Pharmasave opened in 1955 and will close on June 30th.
Allison
Bodnar, executive director of the Pharmacy Association of Nova Scotia
said the Lawrencetown Pharmasave is the first closure, but many
pharmacies are suffering because of the cap on the price of generics
sold to Pharmacare recipients.
"Reduced hours, staff layoffs, reduced services and even further
closures can be expected as the final legislated price cuts take effect
this summer," Bodnar said.
This blog is dedicated to discussing Independent Pharmacy Issues in Newfoundland and Labrador. The Council of Independent Community Pharmacy Owners invites the public we serve to ask questions and make comments.
Showing posts with label NLPB. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NLPB. Show all posts
Monday, March 5, 2012
Challenges and Recognition - Pharmacists - your Health
NEWS RELEASE
March 4-10 2012 PHARMACISTS’ AWARENESS WEEK – CHALLENGES
AND RECOGNITION
For Immediate Release –
St. John’s 02/03 2012
The Council
of Independent Community Pharmacy Owners is pleased to support Pharmacists’
Awareness Week with our valued employees.
Each of our
member corporations recognizes the valued contribution of pharmacists in our
society. Through progressive and supportive employee and employer relationships
our businesses are proud of the services we provide to people, neighbourhoods
and communities.
The
pharmacist continues to be one of the most trusted professions and independent
pharmacy one of the most trusted businesses. This week celebrates the work a
pharmacist does whether as an employee of government, the University,
hospitals, Centre for Health Information, or of the private sector. Our
corporate members will continue to work toward providing a stable workplace for
our professional staff. Our members companies continue to lobby government for
medication management programs that allow our communities to avail of
preventative and stabilization consults that our employees are fully qualified
to do.
Executive Director,
Sue Kelland-Dyer says, “The scope of
practice of Newfoundland and Labrador pharmacists is lagging behind many other
provinces in Canada. The CICPO encourages the Newfoundland and Labrador
Pharmacy Board (NLPB) and the employee representative – the Pharmacists’
Association of Newfoundland and Labrador (PANL) to work diligently to correct
this inequity being experienced by our employees.”
The CICPO
also encourages the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to use this week to
reflect on policy choices which may diminish significantly the salaries and
benefits for this profession and eliminate the opportunities found in the
private sector to deliver additional and advanced medication programs that help
to ensure compliance, best use of prescription drugs, and best patient
outcomes.
“The demographics of our province
show that chronic disease management will become a real budgetary challenge
over the coming decade. One of the only real ways to curb the anticipated
explosion of prescription drug use is through an expanded scope of practice for
pharmacists employed by private sector community pharmacies” adds Kelland-Dyer
The Council
is concerned that significant cuts to pharmacy revenues will achieve several
undesirable outcomes; a reduction in employment opportunities for these
professionals, a reduction in a pharmacist’s wages, a reduction in hours of
operation, and the elimination of all non-essential services.
Evidence is
available in other provinces - where pharmacy revenues have been reduced – that
these unanticipated consequences are already occurring. The splintered
representation of pharmacists through Allied Health, MUNFA, and PANL may be inadvertently
acting to thwart the protection of these essential employees and against
finding an equitable solution.
The CICPO is
willing to work with other employers such as government, hospital boards, and
the university to achieve an equitable benefits and salary package and further
willing to work with government to maximize the services our corporations can
deliver to the people of Newfoundland and Labrador.
The CICPO
also encourages the government to review plans to examine emergency room
wait-times. Kelland-Dyer states, “Minister
Susan Sullivan missed a very important component in the announced study – the
Minister missed pharmacists and pharmacies. It is well established that between
10-20 per cent of emergency room visits are due to drug interactions,
medication compliance, and the inability for patients to get the drugs they are
prescribed in a timely fashion.”
Kelland-Dyer
concludes, “Our businesses employ a
large number of the pharmacists practicing in our province and want to take
this opportunity to recognize their service and assure them that as employers
we are fighting to protect not only the workplace but also their jobs and the
services they deliver to our customers.”
-30-
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
NL Pharmacy oldest registered member Passes Away - A Distinguished Gentleman and Pharmacist
The Council of Independent Community Pharmacy Owners joins with the Pharmacy Community to offer our condolences to the family of Cyril Legrow.
Below please find a story by the Compass Newspaper
Below please find a story by the Compass Newspaper
Funeral for Cyril LeGrow scheduled for Thursday at Bethany United Church
The oldest and longest registered member of the
Newfoundland and Labrador Pharmacy Board, Cyril LeGrow, has passed
away, just one week short of his 100th birthday.
LeGrow, who died Feb. 14 in Carbonear, worked as a pharmacist for nearly 78 years.
He was born in Rock Cove, Conception Bay on Feb.
20, 1912. He was educated in Rock Cove and in St. John's after which he
completed his four-year pharmacist apprenticeship at McMurdo's in St.
John's.
He was first registered with the Newfoundland Pharmacy Board in 1934.
After his graduation, he practised at his father's pharmacy (a Rexall pharmacy) in Broad Cove and later in Carbonear.
In 1975 he sold his pharmacy in Carbonear and
established the Pharmacy Department at the Carbonear General Hospital.
He retired as chief pharmacist at Carbonear Hospital in May of 1979.
After a long and distinguished career, he was made
an honorary member of the then Newfoundland Pharmaceutical Association.
Family, friends and colleagues were preparing to celebrate his 100th
birthday on Feb. 20.
He is predeceased by his wife and leaves two sons, Malcolm and John.
The funeral will take place at 2 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 16 at Bethany United Church in Carbonear.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
The Stock Market or Your Health - Pharmacy Models
Below is a pharmacy story from Oregon.
It is interesting to note that the some of the same insurance companies are driving the changes in Canada.
The question remains are we going to follow the crowd (other provinces) who have been heavily lobbied by brand drug companies, insurance companies, and chain drugstores?
This is not the model we need for an aging population - we need more of the services offered by independent stores - not less.
We need to make sure that Newfoundland and Labrador keeps the best network of pharmacies and professionals found anywhere. We need to make sure that all our neighbourhoods and communities have reasonable access to equitable services.
Ontario is the province driving these negative and regressive pharmacy remuneration models and the rest of the provinces are following.
The American system is about 5 years ahead of Ontario - look at the results.
If the stock market is going to be the driver of your health outcomes - then what should you expect?
View full sizePatrick
Bowman opened Tualatin Pharmacy 11 months ago and says his business is
building. Pharmacy runs in Bowman's family; his father, sister and he
once operated seven stores. Before opening his store in Tualatin, Bowman
worked in large chain stores. The experience, he says, was not good.
A
retired Paisley minister experiences sudden Parkinson’s disease
symptoms, so severe he believes death is imminent — only to learn it’s
due to the wrong medication.
A pharmacy technician in Hillsboro sells an Ativan prescription to the wrong man, who gets pulled over for driving erratically.
An Astoria woman suffers a cardiac arrest, and later learns her pharmacy for months had overdosed her with thyroid medication.
These are among the estimated hundreds of pharmacy errors reported in the last few years, either to state agencies or in lawsuits. And some pharmacists say errors are happening more than ever.
A recent survey by the Oregon Board of Pharmacy reported that more than 350 chain pharmacists — more than half of those responding — said their working conditions don’t promote safe and effective patient care.
Many complained it is getting worse. “I feel that we are operating on the edge of disaster,” wrote one. “It is a danger zone for us and our patients.”
Last summer, the state board hosted an online survey for roughly 5,700 licensed pharmacists licensed in Oregon. The results were gratifying and disturbing, says board member Ann Zweber. She hadn’t expected so many to respond — more than 1,300; unfortunately, many responded by reporting safety concerns.
“People had a lot to say,” she says. “It concerns me greatly.”
The survey results describe a profession in transition. Independent pharmacies, which once dominated Oregon, now number just 214 out of about 750 retail pharmacies, according to state records. As independents give way to large chains and mail-order operations, increased competition is inserting a bottom-line mentality into the way people get their pills.
Only 25.9 percent of chain store pharmacists agreed working conditions promoted safe and effective patient care — compared to 76 percent of pharmacists at independent pharmacies.
Not only that, more than 200 hundred chain pharmacists commented about workload and safety.
The survey data isn’t perfect. It’s anonymous and pharmacists were allowed to self-report their type of workplace. But the board believes the survey is credible, Zweber said.
Many complained of having to fill more prescriptions each day with fewer staff; of 12-hour shifts with scant breaks; and constant distractions, such as administering immunization shots to augment profits.
One reported quitting a chain job because of feeling “like I’m going to jeopardize the patients every time I stepped into that pharmacy.” Another said because of lack of staff, “we have seen a huge increase in errors. We used to have a couple per month, now we have a couple per week and sometimes more than one in a day!”
Blake Rice, a pharmacist who used to sit on the state board, thinks many errors are caught internally by improved safety procedures. But he agrees chain stores don’t protect the public, giving drugs “the same lack of oversight as the sale of bread and milk or canned beans.”
Several chain store representatives disagreed.
Chrissy Kopple, spokeswoman for the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, said the survey does not reflect chains’ commitment to quality. “NACDS and individual chains will continue to work with the Oregon Board of Pharmacy to maximize patient safety and health.”
“We have a strong safety record because of our on-going education and training for pharmacy associates as well as our continued investment in technology for our pharmacies to maximize accuracy and patient safety,” said Rite Aid spokeswoman Ashley Flower.
There is no data to definitively show more pharmacy errors are occurring, or that they happen more often in chains. Pharmacies do not have to report errors to any public agency. The pharmacy board considers roughly 80 cases a year involving reporting errors. The Oregon Patient Safety Commission encourages voluntary reporting, but only 94 pharmacies have signed up.
The Institute for Safe Medication Practices solicits confidential reports of pharmacy errors from consumers and pharmacists. The group is seeing a steady increase in such reports nationwide, said Michael Cohen, a pharmacist who heads the group.
He said the group is sending its own survey. “It’s hard for the pharmacists who work at these chains to complain too loudly to their manager or go public because they work there and they don’t want to undergo any type of job issue,” Cohen said.
Joseph Lassiter, a Pacific University pharmacy professor who sits on the Oregon Patient Safety Commission, said the Oregon survey results are disturbing. “This survey is a signal for us that there’s something going on.”
The board of pharmacy is considering rules to keep an eye on working conditions. The rules do not set strict workload levels, but allows the board to fine or suspend a pharmacy license over safety issues.
Oregon is not the first to take on the issue, said Carmen Catizone of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy. Iowa and North Carolina adopted stringent standards, with a workload review of every reported error where a customer was harmed. He said state pharmacy boards have to strike a balance between public safety and workplace interference.
Zweber says the Oregon board seeks the same balance. “I don’t think we’re going to be that specific,” she said.
Patrick Bowman, owner of Tualatin Pharmacy, says he’s not surprised at the survey. He founded his business 11 months ago after working in chains.
“I don’t have headaches anymore. I don’t have trouble sleeping anymore,” he said. “People come to me because they’re not a number.”
It is interesting to note that the some of the same insurance companies are driving the changes in Canada.
The question remains are we going to follow the crowd (other provinces) who have been heavily lobbied by brand drug companies, insurance companies, and chain drugstores?
This is not the model we need for an aging population - we need more of the services offered by independent stores - not less.
We need to make sure that Newfoundland and Labrador keeps the best network of pharmacies and professionals found anywhere. We need to make sure that all our neighbourhoods and communities have reasonable access to equitable services.
Ontario is the province driving these negative and regressive pharmacy remuneration models and the rest of the provinces are following.
The American system is about 5 years ahead of Ontario - look at the results.
If the stock market is going to be the driver of your health outcomes - then what should you expect?
Workloads, chain stores add to safety risks, Oregon pharmacist survey says
Published: Sunday, February 12, 2012, 10:15 PM Updated: Monday, February 13, 2012, 12:13 PM
View full sizePatrick
Bowman opened Tualatin Pharmacy 11 months ago and says his business is
building. Pharmacy runs in Bowman's family; his father, sister and he
once operated seven stores. Before opening his store in Tualatin, Bowman
worked in large chain stores. The experience, he says, was not good. A pharmacy technician in Hillsboro sells an Ativan prescription to the wrong man, who gets pulled over for driving erratically.
An Astoria woman suffers a cardiac arrest, and later learns her pharmacy for months had overdosed her with thyroid medication.
These are among the estimated hundreds of pharmacy errors reported in the last few years, either to state agencies or in lawsuits. And some pharmacists say errors are happening more than ever.
A recent survey by the Oregon Board of Pharmacy reported that more than 350 chain pharmacists — more than half of those responding — said their working conditions don’t promote safe and effective patient care.
Many complained it is getting worse. “I feel that we are operating on the edge of disaster,” wrote one. “It is a danger zone for us and our patients.”
Last summer, the state board hosted an online survey for roughly 5,700 licensed pharmacists licensed in Oregon. The results were gratifying and disturbing, says board member Ann Zweber. She hadn’t expected so many to respond — more than 1,300; unfortunately, many responded by reporting safety concerns.
“People had a lot to say,” she says. “It concerns me greatly.”
The survey results describe a profession in transition. Independent pharmacies, which once dominated Oregon, now number just 214 out of about 750 retail pharmacies, according to state records. As independents give way to large chains and mail-order operations, increased competition is inserting a bottom-line mentality into the way people get their pills.
Only 25.9 percent of chain store pharmacists agreed working conditions promoted safe and effective patient care — compared to 76 percent of pharmacists at independent pharmacies.
Not only that, more than 200 hundred chain pharmacists commented about workload and safety.
The survey data isn’t perfect. It’s anonymous and pharmacists were allowed to self-report their type of workplace. But the board believes the survey is credible, Zweber said.
Many complained of having to fill more prescriptions each day with fewer staff; of 12-hour shifts with scant breaks; and constant distractions, such as administering immunization shots to augment profits.
One reported quitting a chain job because of feeling “like I’m going to jeopardize the patients every time I stepped into that pharmacy.” Another said because of lack of staff, “we have seen a huge increase in errors. We used to have a couple per month, now we have a couple per week and sometimes more than one in a day!”
Blake Rice, a pharmacist who used to sit on the state board, thinks many errors are caught internally by improved safety procedures. But he agrees chain stores don’t protect the public, giving drugs “the same lack of oversight as the sale of bread and milk or canned beans.”
Several chain store representatives disagreed.
Chrissy Kopple, spokeswoman for the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, said the survey does not reflect chains’ commitment to quality. “NACDS and individual chains will continue to work with the Oregon Board of Pharmacy to maximize patient safety and health.”
“We have a strong safety record because of our on-going education and training for pharmacy associates as well as our continued investment in technology for our pharmacies to maximize accuracy and patient safety,” said Rite Aid spokeswoman Ashley Flower.
There is no data to definitively show more pharmacy errors are occurring, or that they happen more often in chains. Pharmacies do not have to report errors to any public agency. The pharmacy board considers roughly 80 cases a year involving reporting errors. The Oregon Patient Safety Commission encourages voluntary reporting, but only 94 pharmacies have signed up.
The Institute for Safe Medication Practices solicits confidential reports of pharmacy errors from consumers and pharmacists. The group is seeing a steady increase in such reports nationwide, said Michael Cohen, a pharmacist who heads the group.
He said the group is sending its own survey. “It’s hard for the pharmacists who work at these chains to complain too loudly to their manager or go public because they work there and they don’t want to undergo any type of job issue,” Cohen said.
Joseph Lassiter, a Pacific University pharmacy professor who sits on the Oregon Patient Safety Commission, said the Oregon survey results are disturbing. “This survey is a signal for us that there’s something going on.”
The board of pharmacy is considering rules to keep an eye on working conditions. The rules do not set strict workload levels, but allows the board to fine or suspend a pharmacy license over safety issues.
Oregon is not the first to take on the issue, said Carmen Catizone of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy. Iowa and North Carolina adopted stringent standards, with a workload review of every reported error where a customer was harmed. He said state pharmacy boards have to strike a balance between public safety and workplace interference.
Zweber says the Oregon board seeks the same balance. “I don’t think we’re going to be that specific,” she said.
Patrick Bowman, owner of Tualatin Pharmacy, says he’s not surprised at the survey. He founded his business 11 months ago after working in chains.
“I don’t have headaches anymore. I don’t have trouble sleeping anymore,” he said. “People come to me because they’re not a number.”
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
What is happening to Pharmacy and where is the Board? Ask Minister Kennedy!
The Newfoundland and Labrador Pharmacy Board is the self-regulating body for pharmacy in our province. As you have probably heard in the news - they are the body that monitors both the profession and the operations of pharmacies and may hold disciplinary hearings and issue professional sanctions and/or remove a license of either a pharmacist or pharmacy.
By the same token they should also be there to protect their profession - in the interest of public safety and health - in the same manner the College of Physicians and Surgeons do for Physicians. But the NLPB is no match - and it is going to cost everybody in the end.
The Pharmacy Board as is the problem with the PANL is inundated with big corporate agendas - something which the College does not have to deal with. This is because you do not have to be a pharmacist to own a pharmacy. The Board is an elected body and as such staff pharmacists who work for the big conglomerates like Wal-Mart and Shopper's Drug Mart can get elected and form part of a decision making process. This is the beginning of the problem. Let's say it's in the best interests of the large companies to increase the scope of practice of a pharmacy technician - in order that they may reduce the number of pharmacists needed - and thereby reduce their costs - what will there staff have to represent in a committee meeting? That's the name of the game for publicly traded companies - lower costs - increase shareholder value. Is this however the model that best serves the public? The answer is no.
There are a number of changes going on in Canada and every one of them are causing the destruction of the profession of pharmacy including the value of these highly qualified health care experts. You see as I write today the multinational retail giants - Shoppers, Lawtons, Wal-Mart and Costco are designing, lobbying, and controlling the development of policy surrounding the profession - in order that they maximize profits. Pharmacists are being replaced by ATM's, Licensed Practical Nurses, and pharmacy technicians. In Ontario - where the generic drug pricing changes were introduced - these regressive policies are in full swing. Now where a rural pharmacy used to stand - an ATM will move in; or if a rural community no longer has access to an independent pharmacy (due to revenue loss) an LPN can now dispense, sell, and compound prescription drugs. Further where the ratio of pharmacists to pharmacy technicians was 1:2 is now becoming 1:6 if there are any limits at all. Better yet the pharmacy technicians primarily needed in large numbers by the heavy volume drugstores are now being encouraged by these chains to take control by supporting their efforts to organize and advocate. This all comes at as cost to pharmacists.
The reports are fairly common in Ontario now, pharmacy students are having a difficult time getting a placement in drugstores in order that they may graduate - and when they do the salaries now being offered are 1/3 to 1/2 what they used to be. The public relations spin by the big drugstore chains is that now pharmacists are going to be able to do more of what they are trained to do - by having techs take care of the less significant tasks. The spin goes on to say pharmacists will be paid for med-checks, injections, and counselling. The pharmacist is paid by their employer - they do not receive direct payment for their increased scope of practice - in fact they are now being paid less for doing more. Meanwhile the corporation that employs them bring in more cash with a cheaper payroll.
Any reasonably minded person would ask - if an LPN or an ATM or a pharmacy technician can do the job - what is a pharmacist for? A large corporate drugstore or retail chain will examine the human resources necessary to pump out prescription drugs and adjust their staff needs accordingly. So if a pharmacist is restricted to counselling and medication checks and if the government only pays the corporation a set fee to do those tasks - the pharmacists salaries will actually go down. The money making volume can now be completed by techs and machines.
Is this good for the public? No it is not. The pharmacist should as with all experts in health care being enjoying more stability in the workforce and expect professional salaries for the investment they made in their education. For pharmacists - sadly - the opposite is true. The large corporations in Ontario are now reportedly reducing hours, salaries, and benefits for pharmacists. Schools of Pharmacy in universities are now experiencing a difficulty in achieving placements for their students. At the rate things are going these Schools will have to downsize to adjust to the new market reality. Ironically this is happening at a time when Memorial's School of Pharmacy is looking to expand with new facilities and more seats. If one looks at the changes now occurring in Ontario and the fact the Minister Jerome Kennedy is determined to follow that model - our School of Pharmacy could actually be downsized if not eliminated altogether.
So back to the Newfoundland and Labrador Pharmacy Board - The Executive Committee is comprised of 2 pharmacists from the School of Pharmacy and 2 pharmacists from Shopper's Drug Mart. Of nine Board members only 1 is an independent pharmacy owner.
The Chair of all the Professional Practice Committee and sub-committees is Sandra Carey. Ms Carey is a pharmacist and an employee of the Health Initiative Inc. in Toronto which is an agency of McCann Healthcare Worldwide which is a subsidiary of Interpublic Inc. This conglomerate is a global provider of advertising and marketing services. At the most basic level - it's the attempted control of market share. When it comes to health care and pharmacy - who would want such control of market share? With 41,000 employess how much independent influence does Ms. Carey have?
This big corporate agenda is going after all policies related to pharmaceuticals. The bigwigs of retail pharmacy - the giant chains - are lobbying governments to achieve what's best for their shareholders - not what's best for you and I.
Are they succeeding? Well Minister Kennedy could be the poster boy for this initiative - Shopper's Drug Mart is definitely controlling the development of pharmacy policy. So far they have managed to have their own private line of prescription drugs listed on the provincial formulary, they have managed to have the Department of Health turn a blind eye to Seniors rights in personal care homes, and they have managed to keep independent pharmacy out of the Minister's office. They have lobbied directly, and indirectly at $500 a plate political dinners.
As for the Pharmacy Board - it is becoming obvious that they too are turning a blind eye when the public interest is being affected. You can bet your last dollar that the College of Physicians and Surgeons would long since have a like problem dealt with.
By the same token they should also be there to protect their profession - in the interest of public safety and health - in the same manner the College of Physicians and Surgeons do for Physicians. But the NLPB is no match - and it is going to cost everybody in the end.
The Pharmacy Board as is the problem with the PANL is inundated with big corporate agendas - something which the College does not have to deal with. This is because you do not have to be a pharmacist to own a pharmacy. The Board is an elected body and as such staff pharmacists who work for the big conglomerates like Wal-Mart and Shopper's Drug Mart can get elected and form part of a decision making process. This is the beginning of the problem. Let's say it's in the best interests of the large companies to increase the scope of practice of a pharmacy technician - in order that they may reduce the number of pharmacists needed - and thereby reduce their costs - what will there staff have to represent in a committee meeting? That's the name of the game for publicly traded companies - lower costs - increase shareholder value. Is this however the model that best serves the public? The answer is no.
There are a number of changes going on in Canada and every one of them are causing the destruction of the profession of pharmacy including the value of these highly qualified health care experts. You see as I write today the multinational retail giants - Shoppers, Lawtons, Wal-Mart and Costco are designing, lobbying, and controlling the development of policy surrounding the profession - in order that they maximize profits. Pharmacists are being replaced by ATM's, Licensed Practical Nurses, and pharmacy technicians. In Ontario - where the generic drug pricing changes were introduced - these regressive policies are in full swing. Now where a rural pharmacy used to stand - an ATM will move in; or if a rural community no longer has access to an independent pharmacy (due to revenue loss) an LPN can now dispense, sell, and compound prescription drugs. Further where the ratio of pharmacists to pharmacy technicians was 1:2 is now becoming 1:6 if there are any limits at all. Better yet the pharmacy technicians primarily needed in large numbers by the heavy volume drugstores are now being encouraged by these chains to take control by supporting their efforts to organize and advocate. This all comes at as cost to pharmacists.
The reports are fairly common in Ontario now, pharmacy students are having a difficult time getting a placement in drugstores in order that they may graduate - and when they do the salaries now being offered are 1/3 to 1/2 what they used to be. The public relations spin by the big drugstore chains is that now pharmacists are going to be able to do more of what they are trained to do - by having techs take care of the less significant tasks. The spin goes on to say pharmacists will be paid for med-checks, injections, and counselling. The pharmacist is paid by their employer - they do not receive direct payment for their increased scope of practice - in fact they are now being paid less for doing more. Meanwhile the corporation that employs them bring in more cash with a cheaper payroll.
Any reasonably minded person would ask - if an LPN or an ATM or a pharmacy technician can do the job - what is a pharmacist for? A large corporate drugstore or retail chain will examine the human resources necessary to pump out prescription drugs and adjust their staff needs accordingly. So if a pharmacist is restricted to counselling and medication checks and if the government only pays the corporation a set fee to do those tasks - the pharmacists salaries will actually go down. The money making volume can now be completed by techs and machines.
Is this good for the public? No it is not. The pharmacist should as with all experts in health care being enjoying more stability in the workforce and expect professional salaries for the investment they made in their education. For pharmacists - sadly - the opposite is true. The large corporations in Ontario are now reportedly reducing hours, salaries, and benefits for pharmacists. Schools of Pharmacy in universities are now experiencing a difficulty in achieving placements for their students. At the rate things are going these Schools will have to downsize to adjust to the new market reality. Ironically this is happening at a time when Memorial's School of Pharmacy is looking to expand with new facilities and more seats. If one looks at the changes now occurring in Ontario and the fact the Minister Jerome Kennedy is determined to follow that model - our School of Pharmacy could actually be downsized if not eliminated altogether.
So back to the Newfoundland and Labrador Pharmacy Board - The Executive Committee is comprised of 2 pharmacists from the School of Pharmacy and 2 pharmacists from Shopper's Drug Mart. Of nine Board members only 1 is an independent pharmacy owner.
The Chair of all the Professional Practice Committee and sub-committees is Sandra Carey. Ms Carey is a pharmacist and an employee of the Health Initiative Inc. in Toronto which is an agency of McCann Healthcare Worldwide which is a subsidiary of Interpublic Inc. This conglomerate is a global provider of advertising and marketing services. At the most basic level - it's the attempted control of market share. When it comes to health care and pharmacy - who would want such control of market share? With 41,000 employess how much independent influence does Ms. Carey have?
This big corporate agenda is going after all policies related to pharmaceuticals. The bigwigs of retail pharmacy - the giant chains - are lobbying governments to achieve what's best for their shareholders - not what's best for you and I.
Are they succeeding? Well Minister Kennedy could be the poster boy for this initiative - Shopper's Drug Mart is definitely controlling the development of pharmacy policy. So far they have managed to have their own private line of prescription drugs listed on the provincial formulary, they have managed to have the Department of Health turn a blind eye to Seniors rights in personal care homes, and they have managed to keep independent pharmacy out of the Minister's office. They have lobbied directly, and indirectly at $500 a plate political dinners.
As for the Pharmacy Board - it is becoming obvious that they too are turning a blind eye when the public interest is being affected. You can bet your last dollar that the College of Physicians and Surgeons would long since have a like problem dealt with.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
CICPO speaking out to Protect the Rights of Seniors
Story below as appears in the Grand Falls-Windsor Advertiser by journalist Renell LeGrow.
Group concerned over contracts
The Council of Independent Community Pharmacy Owners is crying foul over contracts being signed between personal care homes and big chain pharmacies for exclusive rights to pharmaceutical needs for residents.
Personal care homes signing deals with big chain pharmacies
It's a fight the Council of Independent Community Pharmacy Owners is ready to fight - but where do they take it?
CICPO Executive Director Sue Kelland-Dyer said they're hearing the stories province-wide.
"Here's what appears to be going on," she said. "Number one, the big chain stores that are involved in this thing are both Shoppers Drug Mart and Lawton's. There is no evidence of others involved, those would be the two, and the predominant player in that would be Lawton's Drugs. What we're hearing essentially is that they go into the homes, and they cut a cheque, so much per bed, and what they receive in return is exclusivity of the people or residents of the home."
When contacted by the Advertiser, the homes in Grand Falls-Windsor declined comment, however Ms. Kelland-Dyer said it is happening.
"Quite often too they come in from outside the community, which is also a problem," she said. "So in Grand Falls-Windsor's case, I think the couple of cases that are there, one is a Lawton's and one is a Shopper's, but neither of them is operating in the community. They're operating their services to the home from outside the community. One from Gander, and the other from Bishop's Falls."
Ms. Kelland-Dyer said the complaints are pouring into CICPO of upset seniors and families, wanting to keep their long-time family pharmacist.
"What they're being told is that if you do not transfer over and go to another pharmacist and another pharmacy, basically we will not give you your medication," she said. "These people have been with their pharmacy for years. We've had reports of seniors crying, really upset, didn't know what to do, and the most difficult part is because they've been waiting to get into a home, or probably just getting in, they're not comfortable with rocking the boat."
Ms. Kelland-Dyer called the situation a real mess.
"To the people who have called our pharmacies, and its not just Grand Falls-Windsor... what do we say for these seniors?" she said. "Somehow this is continuing to fall on deaf ears and at some point it's going to break."
Ms. Kelland-Dyer cited a letter she was forwarded from a resident of Golden Years Estate in Grand Falls-Windsor.
"Dear Resident of the Golden Years Estate, It is the commitment of the Golden Years Estate to provide it's residents with the ultimate care and service, which is why beginning on Monday, Feb 1, we will be switching all pharmaceutical requirements and needs to Lawton's Drugs. The Golden Years Estate and Lawton's Drugs ensure that there will be no disruption in medications or prescription service and delivery, and that residents will enjoy enhanced customer service and satisfaction. We appreciate you're understanding and co-operation regarding this decision, and we look forward to a prosperous new year filled with good health and happiness."
That's a senior's rights issue, according to Ms. Kelland-Dyer.
"You and I can pick whoever our pharmacist is, whoever our doctor is, we can change if we want or stay there if we want, but it's our choice," she said. "This has come down to seniors not having a choice. And I tell you, there's a lot of upset. We've been trying to get to the bottom of this, how do we put this complaint together, who do we lodge the complaint to, but clearly there has to be some action taken because you have people who, I know, are in tears."
Ms. Kelland-Dyer feels the government should step in.
"I know our pharmacies in Grand Falls-Windsor were supplying the homes, but there was no force," she said. "If a resident wanted to go to Roy Green, or one wanted to go to Wayne Morris, or one wanted to go to Ken Dicks, they just did. There was no blocking them."
The biggest concern for CICPO is the relationship between patient and pharmacist. Ms. Kelland-Dyer said with any luck, the pharmacist becomes a life-long health care provider, much like a family physician.
"Particularly as it involves chronic illness like heart conditions, high and low blood pressure, diabetes, asthma and that sort of thing," she said. "There's an ongoing need for medications, compliance with those medications and ongoing discussions back and forth between the doctor and the pharmacist as to what perhaps would be the best approach from a medication perspective."
Ms. Kelland-Dyer said families need to be able to speak on behalf of their loved ones.
"We had one instance where a person was getting ready to leave their home and go into the personal care home," she explained. "Before they went into the home they said they were going to keep their same pharmacist. They were told it wouldn't be a problem. And then, the day they went to check into the home, they told her she had to sign the document or she wasn't going to be admitted. What do you do? We have other instances here in St. John's, where local pharmacists weren't able to treat their own parents or grandparents. It's something that's really weird, it came out of nowhere... it's not a happy picture."
Ms. Kelland-Dyer said CICPO is ready to fight this.
"Something has to give," she said. "You can't treat seniors any different than me or you."
The Advertiser placed calls to Shoppers Drug Mart in Bishop's Falls but they were not returned, prior to deadline.
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