Incentives for prescriptions to be prohibited in N.B. - Action News
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New Brunswick

Incentives for prescriptions to be prohibited in N.B.

New Brunswickers will no longer be able to earn rewards for prescriptions and pharmacy services.

Regulatory change will impact pharmacies offering rewards on prescriptions

A blue sign that says
Prescriptions and pharmacy services will no longer be eligible for rewards programs starting next month. (Katherine Holland/CBC)

New Brunswickers will soon no longer be able to earn rewards for prescriptions and pharmacy services.

The New Brunswick College of Pharmacists came to the decision at its annual general meeting Saturday to prohibitpharmacies from offering consumer incentives including cash, prizes, coupons or points for some pharmacy-related purchases.

The regulatory change comes into effect on July 13 to allow time for pharmacies to adjust services.

"This decision has been in the making for several years," said Anastasia Shiamptanis, the registrar of the New Brunswick College of Pharmacists.

Shiamptanissaid the college introduced a new code of ethics in 2016 and that's when consumer incentives for prescriptions and pharmacy services was first raised as a potential issue.

She said the pandemic shiftedthe focus of the college for several years, but now feels like the right time to make the change.

Common policy across country

This policy has become a trend across Canada, with New Brunswick being the seventh province to apply it.

British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador have already prohibited consumer incentives on prescriptions.

"Pharmacy professionals have been playing a greater role in ensuring there is timely access to health care in the community and providing a health-care service is really a conflict of interest or it would be unethical to provide a type of reward to somebody for providing health care," saidShiamptanis.

'Principles and ethics' guided decision

She said almost 80 per cent of members at the annual general meeting voted in favour of the regulatory change.

Shiamptanissaid those not in favour raised concerns about wantinga better idea of what would be included in the provision.

She said those in favour appreciated that the change will allow New Brunswickers to decide which pharmacies to receive care from without the sway of incentive programs and thatpharmacists won't be questioned on professional ethics related to incentives.

"This is about medications and pharmacy services being a type of health care and wanting to preserve that and provide it the significance it deserves,"saidShiamptanis.

"We understand this may put some people at a disadvantage in terms of any rewards.Ultimately we let our principles and ethics really guide this decision."

She said the college is concerned that pharmacies will face backlash from customers.

The college is providing pharmacies the option to display a sign that asks customers or patients to reach out to the college with concerns.