We are at war! Our federal, provincial, municipal leaders and health officials have warned us repeatedly of the battles we must all wage against an evil foe, that has already cut down more than 15,000 Canadians and taken more than 250 precious lives.
And a key weapon in fighting the fight for all Canadians … but especially the elderly and those with compromised health conditions … is STAY AT HOME.
But in every war, there are those who see it as an opportunity to PROFIT from their fellow citizens’ suffering.
And many of Canada’s pharmacists, in my opinion, are now part of that disgraceful group.
Under a new policy, just recently implemented, these pharmacists are now forcing Canadians to refill even long-standing commonly and abundantly available drug prescriptions every 30 days … instead of the previously common 90-day renewal/refill period approved by their own doctors!
We are NOT talking here about a policy being applied to difficult to source, numerically stressed or rare pharmaceuticals: this new policy covers ALL prescribed drugs for ALL patients.
It is a scam!
Because those pharmacists who take part … and charge as much as $10 or $12 or even more for EVERY prescription they fill will now collect that fee EVERY 30 DAYS for EACH prescription … instead of once every three months for each.
Just think of the MILLIONS OF EXTRA DOLLARS Canadians will have to shell out to those extortionist pharmacists every month!
For some … especially seniors, many of whom take seven, eight, nine or more prescribed drugs each day, the added fees will cost each of them HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS more each quarter.
Does anybody doubt that many will start splitting, cutting out some or all of their prescriptions during that time or just forget to go get them in time???
And we’re not talking just about seniors or those living regularly on limited fixed incomes … but those too who until recently still had jobs and now have reduced hours or have lost their jobs or had their businesses shuttered during the war against Covid-19.
This is travesty.
I believe it is just a shakedown of a captive audience by Canada’s pharmacists, who operate basically as a monopoly. Because we can’t just seek an alternative marketplace … like Amazon … or order our prescription medications directly from overseas!
Canada’s pharmacists are operating during this crisis more like organized crime, rather than involved community leaders helping us get through a critical period.
Who is their business advisor/strategist? Don Corleone?
Making it all worse than just the financial implications, of course, is the impact this new ripoff policy will have on Canada’s war against the coronavirus.
If people who are already sick enough to regularly require several drugs every day now have to shop for their prescriptions EVERY MONTH instead of every three months, that will absolutely expose them to greater risk and danger. Three times as much!
For seniors, the danger is particularly acute … and chances of contracting the virus and even dying from the disease will skyrocket exponentially, because many will now be going out to the drugstore much more often.
And I don’t buy any pharmacists’ propaganda that people can just get their drugs delivered.
What about pharmacies that don’t deliver? Is this a good time to ask sick people or seniors to shop around for a new drug store? And transfer all their files? Or go to their doctors just to get new prescriptions written up for a new pharmacy?
What about pharmacies that charge for deliveries? Adding monthly delivery fees (and tips) to monthly RX-filling fees just adds to the ripoff!
However, the policy change has implications even worse than the added financial costs!
I have no doubt it will ADD to the number of Covid-19 infections and death toll.
The greatest concern for governments and health officials should be those people who require regular prescribed drugs … again especially seniors … who will now decide to go to the pharmacy every three weeks or so to pick up next month’s supply.
Many do not drive, can’t walk very far and are too proud to ask others to pick up their pills for them every few weeks.
What are they supposed to do? Take public transit or taxis to the drug store every few weeks? And expose themselves substantially on the way there and back and in the store … multiplying by several times their risk?
If people can’t go to the beach, the park or out for lunch … how can it be good for their health to have to go to the drug store three times as often???
So much for the Stay at Home admonitions of our governmental and health officials!!!
Governments MUST intervene and STOP this ripoff by Canada’s pharmacists adding extra dangers to so many Canadians’ lives.
And I suspect there is also a good case to be made (any lawyers reading?) for a Class Action Suit by Canadians against both the pharmacies practicing this scam and against those pharmaceutical officials and associations that came up with or endorsed this scam.
Would love to see them in Court defending for why they HAD to invoke this policy change for all prescriptions at this time.
Harv Oberfeld
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