pharmacy – Benefits Canada.com

A closer look at preferred pharmacy networks

lbailey — Mon, 04 Mar 2024 14:00:36 +0000

While preferred pharmacy networks have been around for nearly a decade, most benefits plan members aren’t aware that these arrangements have become standard, says Suzanne Lepage, a private health plan strategist. Preferred provider networks are common arrangements that businesses across a variety of industries enter into to help deliver consistent value, quality and cost containment, said the Canadian Life […]

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TD Synnex modernizing benefits plan, supporting plan members’ mental health

Sadie Janes — Mon, 06 Nov 2023 14:00:45 +0000

TD Synnex Canada is modernizing its employee benefits plan by getting the best value for money while still protecting employees from a mental-health and well-being perspective, according to Shana Kapustin, the global information technology company’s senior director of human resources, speaking during an event hosted last week by the Group Insurance and Pharmaceutical Committee. “We’ve gone […]

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Sounding Board: Why do Quebec’s private drug plans pay higher pharmacy fees?

Jennifer Paterson — Mon, 17 Apr 2023 13:00:46 +0000

Unlike other Canadian provinces and jurisdictions, the Quebec government imposes rules and constraints on private drug plans that affects pharmacy costs. For example, in all provinces except Quebec, the amounts billed by pharmacies to private drug claims are controlled through the following measures: fees are displayed in pharmacies so patients can compare — however, the […]

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A look at the evolving role of pharmacists in drug plan management

Jennifer Paterson — Mon, 23 Jan 2023 12:56:39 +0000

As pharmacists’ scope of practice evolves across the country, their expanded role in drug plan management can improve plan member health and positively impact plan sponsors’ bottom lines. Challenges in the Canadian health-care system — such as the millions of people who don’t have access to a family doctor, extended emergency rooms wait times or […]

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2022 Tech Insights: Optimizing plan member outcomes with proactive medication assessments

Jennifer Paterson — Tue, 10 May 2022 12:55:16 +0000

A typical patient’s journey takes plan members from the doctor to the pharmacy for medication and then leaves them on their own. But employees’ lives aren’t static, with factors like age, mental and physical health, stress and activity level having the potential to impact how effectively those medications work, said Frederic Simard, co-founder and chief […]

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Sounding Board: Virtual care, pharmacists contributing to reinvigorated Canadian wellness, productivity

Jennifer Paterson — Fri, 07 Jan 2022 14:00:58 +0000

To say the coronavirus pandemic has had an unimaginable impact on Canadian life is an immense understatement — it has literally reshaped the way we work, interact socially and access health care. To that end, the pandemic has — and continues to — carve a path for a range of health-care innovations now supported by […]

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2021 Mental Health Summit: Pharmacogenetic testing success stories in mental-health treatment

Jennifer Paterson — Thu, 09 Dec 2021 20:55:17 +0000

Pharmacogenetic testing has become a popular addition to employee benefits packages, primarily because of its ability to inform personalized drug treatment, especially in mental health where it can be challenging to find an appropriate treatment and dosage that’s effective without causing side-effects. Many patients end up trying multiple medications and dosages without achieving improved outcomes, […]

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Biosimilars, pharmacogenetics helping to shape future of pharmacy benefits management

mschmit — Fri, 15 Jan 2021 05:00:06 +0000

Plan sponsors with growing concerns about benefits plan sustainability should focus on a few strategic pharmacy benefits plan issues, said Mark Rolnick, executive vice-president of pharmacy innovation and patient experience at Green Shield Canada, during a session at Benefits Canada’s Face to Face Drug Plan Management Forum on Dec. 9, 2020. He recommended that plans […]

Medavie Blue Cross launching drug management solution

mschmit — Wed, 14 Oct 2020 11:15:06 +0000

Medavie Blue Cross is launching a new drug management solution that will offer broader drug coverage while aiming to lower costs for group benefits plan members. The program, Rxperience, offers plan members open access to traditional drug benefits and specialty drug management via increased standardized core benefits, according to a press release. Read: Medavie Blue Cross […]

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Coronavirus pandemic drives 20% increase in new claims for mental-health drugs

mschmit — Thu, 17 Sep 2020 06:00:10 +0000

Claims for medications treating mental-health issues like anxiety and depression reached 97 per cent of 2019’s total claims volume by the end of August 2020, according to new data from Express Scripts Canada. In addition, 2020 has seen a 20 per cent increase in claimants for medications relating to depression compared to 2019. “For the remainder of […]

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