| Summary: | On 8 December 2011, Québec’s Minister of Health and Social Services amended the province’s Pharmacy Act by introducing Bill 41 to expand pharmacists’ role in patient care. Québec is the only Canadian province with a legal mandate for prescription drug insurance coverage for all residents, with public coverage offered only to those who do not have access to private health insurance through their employer. Bill 41 aims to increase access to health care and reduce physician wait times by extending the scope of pharmacist services to mirror that of physicians (e.g., modify the form of the medication and its dosage). The reform is currently pending due to disputes between the Ministry of Health and Social Services and the Quebec Association of Pharmacy Owners over remuneration for pharmacists. Should Bill 41 come into force, it is unclear whether the expansion of pharmacists’ roles, which in principle would duplicate physician services, should be considered part of the public basket of medically necessary care. Current negotiations suggest that only those with public coverage will also be covered for expanded services thereby placing equity of finance for those with private insurance in question.
|
|---|