CALGARY- Deep in the Alberta budget lies a change that’s great for consumers, and bad for some businesses: lower prescription drug prices.
The province-which sets the price of generic drugs-has cut the price in half, from 35 per cent of brand name costs to 18 per cent.
While it means lower prescription prices on about 200 medications, pharmacies will also make less. Independent stores are worried about staying in business.
He adds that as pharmacies have to cut services or close, it will lead to higher health care costs.
The health minister says pharmacists can now charge for other professional services to compensate.
“Albertans can now see their pharmacist to renew a prescription, to modify or get a new prescription, to get a care plan developed,” says Fred Horne. “All these things pharmacists have been trained to do for years, and licensed to do, and nobody until recently actually started to pay them to do that work.
“So that’s another stream of income.”
The change goes into effect on April 1, and pharmacies that still have drug stocks bought at the higher prices will not be compensated for the difference.
With files from Tony Tighe
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