Discussions

You should look at it as you were getting a discount before. The dispensing fee pays for all the overhead of staff, labeling, counting, packaging, Pharmacist to verify the pres:cription, submitting to Pharmacare/Insurance, providing instructional paperwork, and counter staff to give you your meds and take payment from you. The only reason you think it a conspiracy against you is that they only charge you once per pres:cription fill, weather it be one week, one month or three months. The same amount of resources go into each fill. The only difference is the size of order. Maybe to make you happy, Your pharmacy could change the dispensing fee to a per pill fee of 30 cents per pill X 1 pill per day X 30 days = $10 then when you can fill 3 months (90 days) it will be $30. then you will have no reason to say the Pharmacies and the government is conspiring to over charge. Would that sound fair?  
Just curious, What do you think A fair price would be? Keeping in mind I expect you to look at it as the owner of your local pharmacy. What do you say a fair price is to cover the cost of staff time, equipment, supplies, and building overhead, so that you wont feel screwed by the dispensing fee? You will also have to figure a way of being able to have seen the future and make sure there was enough supply world wide so you don't have to deal with a hoarding shortage and will be able to offer the 3 month supply.

What Curlysister is saying is that if your rx is valid for 6 months, they don't need to consult the doctor every time they fill it.  
 
If you have say 5 repeats left on it, and each repeat is for 1 month, you can fill it 5 times without them going back to the doctor. In my case, I had zero repeats left, so I needed a new s:cript. Which my doctor did and the pharmacy filled. I also have 1 repeat, so the pharmacy can fill it once more before needing a few pres:cription from the doctor.  
 
For question 3, it's the same amount of work each time they fill it. They have to count the pills, then verify and count again. They create labels, they package it, everything. But instead of counting out 90 pills once, they are counting out 30 pills 3 times. Instead of verifying once, they are doing it 3 times. Instead of creating labels and packaging once, they are doing it 3 times. So it's generating three times the amount of work in a situation where they're already quite busy.  
 
The money party aside, which I think everyone understands, I'm failing to see why this is such a big deal. Everything is different right now, and it sucks, and it's making life harder in many respects and often more expensive - but it is what it is.

limiting prescriptions to a 1 month supply at a time will help prevent hording. I was getting a 60 day supply for $29.10, now I go to the drug store every 30 day for a 30 day supply for $20.92. The druggist is counting, verifying, labeling, bottling twice as often as previous and I am paying more per pill.  
 
Also, I am possibly being exposed to covid-19 twice as many times and possibly exposing others to covid-19 twice often if I happen to be a carrier.  
After 60 days I am still using 60 pills whether they are purchased in 1 or 2 batches.  
If they need to prevent hording, check when the last time your prescription was filled and refuse to fill until a certain number of days have passed.

In 2018 the federal government mandated that we had to buy antibiotics to treat livestock from veterinary clinics rather than CoOp’s and other outlets. This was introduced to ensure that we contacted a vet to have a pres:cription issued allowing us to buy antibiotic and use it safely thus reducing the risk of antibiotic resistance build up in humans. The cost of this antibiotic is now at least double what it used to be. I could whine and whinge and claim that it is a conspiracy and a money grab by the vet clinics and the LIBERAL federal government, but I accept it for what it is, common sense regulation to protect humans and prevent overuse in animals.  
You are making this human pres:cription change into something political which it is not! When I recently had a pres:cription I was never offered more than a month at a time and I paid it all out of my own pocket. Get over it! We all have to face increased costs to properly and safely administer drug distribution.  
 
Edited by Farmergeorge, 2020-04-09 17:59:07

I do not post often,but read a lot of posts and agree with many of your posts. I also disagree with some.  
 
Can you please explain how reducing the the refill time from 90 or 60 days to 30 days is a benefit in any way other than to anyone other than the drug store.  
 
Please read my previous post.  
 
If druggists are not currently required to check when a previous pros:cription was filled and do a minor bit of math to determine if hording is happening, In my opinion should not be happening.  
 
From what I understand a druggist is supposed to check for conflicting medications and interactions.  
 
If druggists are not required to check for excessive refills, these days with computers and skilled programmers that should change and make it easy for druggists to determine if someone may be hording.

You explain how this is a political decision made to benefit pharmacies as claimed by the op. I can’t see it , it just makes more work and headache for them and increases their cost which then has to be passed on to the consumer. It is a simple regulation change that we all have to live with and that costs the consumer extra money. It is too bad but it is what it is and it won’t be changing any time soon.  
Further to my previous post as a primary producer I am unable to pass the increased cost of antibiotic for treating my cattle to the consumer. Although this cost has also been caused by government regulation I have to suck it up and take it on the chin, so I get rogered by the government both ways, on medication for my cattle and on pres:criptions for me. Oh well that’s life.  
 
Edited by Farmergeorge, 2020-04-09 23:31:56

think the government did the right thing to limit prescriptions to one month's supply I do have sympathy for people who costs have increased. Most people aren't made of money and are now having a harder time paying for all this not to mention shopping at a different grocery store in order to keep themselves safe.

What are other provinces (conservative/liberal/ndp) doing in regards to limiting pres:criptions to one month?  
 
I understand that you are unhappy with the decision and respect your position - I just wonder if other jurisdictions are doing the same thing - and then we can see if it is politically motivated (as you infer) or done out of necessity!  
 
Edited by BuckEye, 2020-04-09 23:47:33

for the links - .....  
 
For those interested - Nova Scotia and Newfoundland are Liberal governments and BC is an NDP government (minority).  
 
I believe the rest of the Canadian provinces (excluding territories) are conservative (in philosophy but not necessarily in name).  
 
My final thoughts on the issue - - - - - IF the supply of drugs world-wide is the same as before the pandemic, and ALL countries in the world (not just Canada) restrict their customers so as to not "hoard", then your logic sounds reasonable - can you attest to the FACT that no drug manufacturers world-wide have closed during the pandemic? and that the world supply of drugs is the same as before the pandemic?  
 
The answers to these questions on a micro level (eBrandon) would be a guess at best!  
 
Edited by BuckEye, 2020-04-10 10:14:10

"Further to my previous post as a primary producer I am unable to pass the increased cost of antibiotic for treating my cattle to the consumer. Although this cost has also been caused by government regulation I have to suck it up and take it on the chin, so I get rogered by the government both ways, on medication for my cattle and on pres:criptions for me. Oh well that’s life. "  
Farmer george, what you forgot to mention was that the cost of the antibiotics will be charged to the taxman and you given tax relief on same Not everyone can charge their meds to the taxman.

Pres:cription started last July, $320 a month, I was not aware that I could have more then a month at a time and frankly it didn’t bother me any way as I could space out the cost , I wouldn’t have wanted more than a month at that price. I thought that all of this stuff was more heavily regulated and restricted and am surprised and disappointed to learn how lax it has previously been.

That is complete c**p .I pay for treatment and vaccinations for my animals. I know I write the cheque thankyou.

You might pay for it but I bet your accountant i:ncludes it as a working expense when he does your tax return, so you there fore have it deducted from earnings before paying tax on the balance.

Can insult me if you like, I get tax relief as a business expense like any other business expense. The government/ taxman DOES NOT pay for livestock treatment and medication, my line of credit pays for it. You can also get tax relief on pres:cription medication and if you are unfortunate to spend above a threshold then you can receive additional help especially if you happen to be classed as low income. My business is conducted with honesty and integrity and has been done so for five generations.

No Farmer george I was not insulting you, if you actually read my original comments you would see that your last post confirmed what I said.

The taxman/government DOES NOT pay for vaccination and medication for my cattle. I get tax relief as a business expense the same as any other business expense, perfectly normal business practice. You can get tax relief on your own pres:cription medication too and if you unfortunately exceed the threshold then you can get additional help and some more again if you are considered low income. Our business is conducted with honesty and integrity and has been done so for FIVE generations.

It only confirms that I pay my bills and I repair my equipment, and I do my own books, and I manage my own marketing etc etc. If you think that you can survive on the thin margins that I manage daily than I invite you to try. And before you try to say that I don’t know what it is like to be employed, you are wrong. I worked for twenty years as a technician in dealerships to get my start in agriculture. You put YOUR hard earned money where your mouth is the same way that I have done.  
 
Edited by Farmergeorge, 2020-04-10 16:29:28

My husband takes 4 pills a day every day, and gets or was getting 3 months at a time that’s 90 pills per bottle! X 4. So at the end of 90 days all bottles should be empty, well 2 refills ago turns out he was short , all 4 bottles had different amounts, called the pharmacy and they played dumb and didn’t have a answer and didn’t offer to fix the problem! We paid for 90 . So maybe with the one month at a time they will actually get it right! So frustrating!

From CBC today. Limits will be removed but imposed still where drug shortages.  
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/manitoba-health-minister-pres:criptions-covid19-1.5561343  
 
Edited by vegimite, 2020-05-08 13:25:58