Province lifts cap on prescriptions

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This article was published 09/05/2020 (2155 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The provincial government will remove the one-month cap on prescription medication refills starting Monday, but a Brandon pharmacist says the move may be too soon.

Pharmacists in Manitoba can start dispensing three months’ worth of medication, as long as there is no current shortage of the drug, Health Minister Cameron Friesen announced Friday morning.

A 30-day limit on prescriptions was originally put in place on March 19 to stop hoarding during the pandemic and ensure a stable supply.

The drug situation has stabilized now, Friesen said, so the cap can safely be removed. The province has a better understanding of the production and distribution system than it did two months ago.

“This is balancing act,” he said. “It’s a balance between fairness and evidence-based decision making and acting to safeguard drug supply.”

While the provincial government insists it is safe to remove the cap, Victoria Avenue Shoppers Drug Mart pharmacy owner Brittany Creamer said she still has worries.

“I foresee some issues for sure. We will do our best to prevent stockpiling of medications, but when the one-month rule is lifted, it’s definitely going to be a challenge for us as pharmacists when that time comes of when supplies of drugs are running out and we’re not able to give those patients who really need their inhaler because someone else bought eight inhalers,” she said.

There is still a sense of fear among some people about the pandemic, she said, so stocking and hoarding is still a concern. The risk of shortages is especially high on inhalers and other respiratory medications based on the nature of COVID-19.

“Drug shortages have been an issue even before COVID, but it’s been exacerbated with this virus and people thinking about having to stay home and stock up and not wanting to leave their house,” Creamer said.

Pharmacists will do what they can to prevent hoarding and ensure a steady supply, but lifting the one-month cap will put a strain on the system, she said. 

The Canadian Pharmacists Association could not be reached for comment on the measure on Friday.

Limits on some medications will remain in place if there is a shortage, Friesen said. The province will still place one-month supply limits on drugs of which Health Canada shows a shortage.

“We remain concerned about global drug supply; however, the situation has changed since March 19,” he said. “We see more stability in global production, we see more stability in global distribution, we see supply chains broadly not disrupted as much as previously thought.”

The health minister also announced the creation of a time-limited COVID-19 drug-shortages working group. Friesen said the group will monitor drug shortages and availability across the province and across the country.

“They will look to create solutions to ongoing drug shortages that are also unique to Manitoba” he said.

The group, which is made up of offices from Manitoba Health, representatives from Pharmacists Manitoba and the College of Pharmacists of Manitoba, will make decisions about “what comes next.”

The cost of more frequent refills can add up financially over time. Pharmacists in Manitoba charge up to a $30 dispensing fee per refill to cover the cost of filling the order. When asked whether the province would be reducing the fee or reimbursing people for it, Friesen said the middle of a pandemic is not the time to change dispensing fees. He also said the $200 payment to seniors announced earlier will help cover those costs. 

Creamer acknowledged the cost can add up when renewing every 30 days, but said it’s not about the money.

“The reason we’re doing this 30 days (limit) is in the benefit of the public and to prevent people from having to deal with drug shortages and not having that life-saving medication. We just want to ensure equal access to everyone.”

» dmay@brandonsun.com

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