More than 100 people attended the 11th annual Solutions in Drug Plan Management conference presented by Drugstore Canada and Benefits Canada yesterday in Toronto. Pharmacists, plan sponsors, consultants and recordkeepers came together to discuss the theme for this year’s conference: Opportunities in a New Healthcare Landscape.
Peter Zawadzki, a professional affairs executive with Pharmasave National, and Jeff May, senior vice-president, pharmacy professional affairs and payer relations, with Shoppers Drug Mart Inc., set the stage for the morning with a review of drug pricing reforms, government-funded programs for pharmacist services and expanded scopes of practice for health professionals.
Zawadzki and May then discussed the Canadian Stakeholder Steering Committee on Private Drug Plans, which they co-chair. This is a new forum for pharmacy and the private sector to dialogue and brainstorm. The committee’s mandate is to improve operational efficiencies and maximize the benefits of expanded pharmacist services.
A panel discussion and Q&A followed, focusing on drug plan management and its practical application for the workplace. The panelists looked at drug pricing, preferred pharmacy networks and medication management.
To finish the morning, Shoppers Drug Mart provided a plan sponsor testimonial on how it redesigned its drug benefits, and Sean McKelvey, president of Network Healthcare, explained how technology and incentives can work to synchronize care plans and monitor delivery of care in the community.