Perceptions of pharmacists are behind the times. While plan members, and even plan sponsors, may see the role of the pharmacist as primarily counting pills, there’s much more that goes into filling a prescription, delegates heard at the 2018 Halifax Benefits Summit in September. This includes keeping up to date with medications, talking with patients and thinking […]
Despite significant awareness and discussion around what ails Canada’s health-care system, little has changed, said Rose Dipchand at the 2018 Halifax Benefits Summit on Sept. 20. Substantial economic challenges remain, the population continues to get older and unhealthier, wait times are still increasing and there’s poor adherence to treatment, noted Pharmasave’s regional manager of professional […]
Lost or damaged prescriptions cost Canadians more than $35 million in productivity, extra travel and time spent filling prescriptions and the potential for adverse health events due to medications that aren’t taken at all, according to a new study by Canada Health Infoway. The study found 40 per cent of Canadians who lost or damaged prescriptions […]
Manulife Financial Corp. is launching a medical marijuana program in partnership with Shoppers Drug Mart Corp. this fall. The program, which will be available for participating group benefits plans and individual plans in Canada, will involve specially trained pharmacists from Shoppers Drug Mart at a patient care centre based in Ontario. The pharmacists will be available to […]
Health-care costs are projected to increase a whopping 130 per cent over the next eight years after a period of relatively flat growth, according to a study published by Mercer in 2017. One of the key drivers is rising drug costs, with expensive specialty medications and gene therapies making up the majority of new products in development. So […]
It’s an exciting time for group benefits in Canada. That’s not a phrase you hear every day, but it’s one that’s coming up more and more often. Terms like “digital health” and “disruption” are new words to the Canadian benefits vernacular. All of a sudden, it seems like a new digital health startup launches every […]
Express Scripts Canada has won a five-year contract to process millions of pharmacy, dental, vision, mental health and medical supplies and equipment claims for Indigenous Canadians. The contract, awarded by Health Canada, includes options for renewal for up to 11 years. Read: Plan members need help with co-ordinating care: report “Express Scripts Canada is extremely pleased to have […]
While medications to treat mental illness are a major source of drug spending, that money may be going to waste if patients don’t take their drugs as prescribed. Presenting at the recent Mental Health Summit Vancouver, Allison Nourse, national director of pharmacy innovation at Pharmasave Drugs Ltd., explored the ways community pharmacists can optimize medications […]
Keeping private drug plans sustainable is key for all Canadians. While measures such as mandatory generic substitution and prior authorization are standard solutions in many employer drug plans, costs continue to rise. As employers consider what to do next, there’s a role for pharmacy to play, according to Mark Rolnick, vice-president of payor partnerships and […]