Reforms to Lower Generic Drug Prices
McGuinty Government Finalizes Reforms To Lower Generic Drug Prices
The Hon. Deb Mathews, Minister of Health and Long Term Care.
Ontario is lowering generic drug prices and making improvements to the province’s drug system to benefit all Ontarians.These improvements include:
- Lowering the price of most generic drugs by at least 50 percent.
- Eliminating so-called ‘professional allowances’ – payments generic drug companies make to pharmacy owners in exchange for stocking their products.
- Supporting access to pharmacy services in rural communities by increasing the dispensing fees paid to rural pharmacies by as much as $5 per prescription filled.
- Expanding the MedsCheck program to assist people with diabetes, long-term care home residents and people who have difficulty travelling to their local pharmacy.
- Creating a transition fund to assist pharmacies in adapting to the fairer drug system.
The changes, which are part of the government’s Open Ontario plan, will begin to take effect on July 1, 2010.
QUICK FACTS
- Ontarians have been paying too much for their prescription drugs. In certain cases, they have been paying about five times more than what some US states pay for the same drug.
- The new MedsCheck @ Home program will reimburse pharmacists for doing house calls to review the medications of patients who may have difficulty travelling to a pharmacy.
