Alberta pharmacists are protesting upcoming budget cuts they say will impact patient care across the province. Protests took place in Calgary, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat and Red Deer on Wednesday.
The province said the changes would not only save on provincial health-care spending but lower costs to patients. But pharmacists suggest the cuts come at the expense of their businesses, already being squeezed by recent reductions to generic drug prices.
The protesters are with Pharmacists of Alberta Unite, a grassroots group of individual pharmacists from across Alberta.
On Feb. 28, Alberta Health announced it will save $150 million over the next two years through a new funding arrangement with pharmacists. The changes will also see some fees reduced and capped starting on May 17.
Some pharmacists suggest the move will jeopardize fundamental patient care for Albertans.
Watch below: Pharmacist Mark Percy joins Global News Morning Calgary with details on why Alberta pharmacists will be rallying in an effort to raise awareness of budget cuts and how these changes will impact patient services.
But some say the 4.3 per cent increase in funds to pharmacists is misleading.
“It’s misleading because our budget is tied to the drug budget. When you look at those numbers it takes into account inflation, ageing population and higher cost drugs,” said Mark Percy, clinical practice lead with Mint Health and Drugs.
“So when you say 4.3 per cent that’s really looking at more factors outside of our control. And historically, those numbers have been much higher; 4.3 per cent doesn’t even take into account logically, increases that are there.”
While the province’s press release touted collaboration with the Alberta Pharmacists’ Association, protesting pharmacists said the government pushed the changes through with little meaningful discussion.
“When the government looks at drugs, drugs pricing, drug budgets – that’s definitely a growing expenditure that we have in this province. Pharmacists have many ways we can try to mitigate some of those costs if we’re given more power, more time and more funding but, really, some of those solutions weren’t even looked at,” Percy said.
Percy also said some big companies are already making staff cuts and reducing hours in response to the cuts.
Pharmacists of Alberta Unite is asking Albertans to support them by writing their MLAs with their concerns.