Starting on July 1, Alberta pharmacists will be paid for renewing prescriptions, a move Health Minister Fred Horne hopes will free up time for family doctors.
Horne announced the move Monday. While pharmacists have had the power to renew prescriptions since 2007, they will now receive $20 for providing that service.
“What we are really trying to do is recognize pharmacists as full members of the primary health-care team,” said Horne.
Horne said there were a number of issues to work out with pharmacists, between the time they were allowed to perform the service and when they will actually be compensated for it.
“It is not as simple as it may seem on the face of it,” he said. “They may have had the abilities. Putting the supports in place and working with the college of pharmacists, which actually regulates the professions, giving them the time to put all the checks and balances in place does take some time.”
The $20 pharmacists will receive compares to $35 physicians currently receive for renewing a patient’s prescription. Horne said even with that he doesn’t know that the change will definitely decrease costs, but he does hope it will reduce waits and make the system more convenient.
“We have about 1,000 pharmacies in the province so when this kicks in on July 1 there will be about 1,000 more places in the province to go to get your prescription renewed.”
The new rules still limit pharmacists from writing certain prescriptions, including for narcotics, to limit the potential for abuse. Horne said with Albertans getting more complex medical problems it is important for physicians to be able to focus on those cases while other health professionals deal with the more routine cases.
“It means doctors are going to have more time freed up to see more patients and more importantly, more patients with complex needs.”
Sara Karlstrom, a pharmacist at the Health Select Pharmacy in the Tudor Glen Market, said she appreciates the government’s move.
“It is an extra service that we are actually getting reimbursed for, which is really nice.”
Karlstrom said since the rules allowing pharmacists to renew prescriptions have come into place, she regularly uses the power.
“Every day you probably see someone who doesn’t have enough pills to last them to their next appointment.”
She said many of her patients have been on a similar prescription for years and their renewal is not a major concern.
“If it is something that is continuous it is usually not an issue.”
Like Horne, she also noted her patients appreciate not having to go to a doctor for the prescription renewal.
“It is also for the convenience factor of the patients as well, we are a lot more accessible.”
The government also announced Monday that it will be reducing the price it pays for generic drugs, aiming to save $85 million, while also lowering prices for consumers. The reduced prices will hurt pharmacies, but the government hopes to reduce the pain with a $15.9-million grant program for remote pharmacies over the next three years.
