Health Committee on April 7th, 2020

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Thank you.

Finally, to the Canadian Pharmacists Association, I've been contacted by seniors who are concerned about conflicting messages. They're being told to stay home, but of course the result of having to go every month for their pills is that they have to go every 30 days instead of every 90.

Second, there's a financial issue. A senior couple told me that they pay a $10 dispensing fee. Between the two of them, they have 12 prescriptions, so their fees have gone from $120 every three months to $120 every month. Is there any talk in the Canadian Pharmacists Association about adjusting dispensing fees to help seniors who are on fixed incomes in light of the requirement to get their pills more frequently?

[Dr. Barry Power]

Thank you for the question.

We are exploring a number of options for helping these people. We are working with the provinces and payers, and we're having discussions within the profession as well about the best way to approach it.

We knew it was going to be a difficult situation for a lot of people. We had to make a decision quickly due to the incredible spike that we saw. We're now starting to have discussions with a number of stakeholders, both to figure out when we can roll back the recommendation to go with 30 days and also to figure out ways to help people.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

But would pharmacists consider reducing their dispensing fees as a contribution to the extraordinary circumstance right now?

[Dr. Barry Power]

That's a discussion that would have to happen with the pharmacy owners, but it's a discussion that we can entertain with some of the stakeholders within our community.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Thank you, Mr. Davies.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Thank you.

[Shelita Dattani]

Could I—

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Go ahead.

[Shelita Dattani]

I could add to Barry's point about the mixed messaging, which I think was the start of that question.

Certainly we talked about the 30-day supply, but we are definitely discouraging patients, particularly if they're vulnerable, symptomatic or don't feel comfortable coming into the pharmacy. Many pharmacies actually have seniors' hours for patients if they feel more comfortable coming in when there are fewer people, but again, if they're symptomatic or sick or don't want to come in, we are more than willing to deliver, and we continue to deliver.

As I mentioned earlier, pharmacies across the country have committed to a dramatic increase in deliveries so as to reduce the number of patients coming in. Also, pharmacies are taking phone calls. They're talking to patients over the phone and putting up signage, and they're definitely, in every way, discouraging symptomatic, vulnerable or senior patients from visiting their pharmacies. We want to protect their health and ours, and I think the messaging has been very clear on that.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Thank you.

I would like to thank everyone. I certainly thank our illustrious panel for their very valuable contributions and their excellent answers to our many questions. I would like to thank the members of the committee and the MPs in the meeting for their time and contribution.

I thank you all. The meeting is now adjourned.