Complete Investigation needed on Drug Costs

Will Dunderdale, Ball, or Michael investigate? $$$$ LOST!

We have now entered a time-frame industry people like to call the Patent Cliff.

Over the next 5 years residents of Newfoundland and Labrador as with all other jurisdictions in Canada and the USA should experience an extreme reduction in the price of essential commonly prescribed medications.

As these new generics enter the marketplace - our government should act immediately to replace the brand drugs on our formulary. This will save us tens of millions of dollars.

Unfortunately we still have a secret committee determining when our tax dollars will be used wisely.

If you can buy the drug in New Brunswick, Alberta, or Ontario - why not here in our province?

Why are our hospitals permitted to dispense drugs that our retail pharmacies cannot?

Why does our government pay brand prices when savings of 40 per cent and more are available?

Sue's Blog will layout some of the financial losses our government has allowed of our essential health care dollars.

We also need to discuss and understand if there are any potential conflicts within the secret committee that answers only to the Minister - and NOT the House of Assembly. We need to know if any member of the committee has any dealings with the drug companies - outside of the committee - and whether those dealings are commercial in nature.

Is it possible that any committee members - who have the power of recommendation to the Minister of Health - could use that power in commercial dealings?

Do the Brand Drug Houses lobby any of the committee members - in any way whatsoever?

You see something is not right here. We are losing tens of millions of dollars and nothing is being done about it. Sound Familiar?

Open and Transparent - right? Public Accounts - spending our money wisely right?

Where is the investigative journalism? Where are the NDP members on this - they are the champions of health care right?

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.”

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