Alberta Health Minister Adriana LaGrange said the government will be making changes to the Compensation Plan for Pharmacy Services Ministerial Order after thorough consideration of survey input and the Alberta Pharmacists’ Association’s (RxA) proposals. LaGrange confirmed this approach “allows for timely implementation of expenditure controls to address concerns about total actual spending for pharmacy services exceeding the budgeted threshold in this fiscal year and to help address forecasted cost overruns in future years.” “The decision to change the Ministerial Order instead of triggering the Authorized Adjustment Policy engagement process was based on a number of factors, including a limited number of feasible options and the quality feedback that Alberta Health received through the consultation process and RxA’s members survey,” said LaGrange in a letter to Alberta pharmacists..In the last year, Alberta Health and RxA identified year-to-date actual pharmacy services expenditures were approaching and forecasted to exceed their agreed upon budgeted expenditure threshold for them for the 2024-2025 fiscal year. Without any steps being taken, they determined the amount for pharmacy services budgeted for the 2024-2025 fiscal year would be exceeded by about $30 million. As pharmacists might be aware, LaGrange said Alberta Health and RxA have been engaged in consultations to identify options for expenditure controls that would reduce future ones from exceeding the budget expenditure threshold. As health minister, she said she appreciates the input provided by pharmacists through RxA’s survey. She added these responses “provided meaningful and insightful perspectives on the priorities of Alberta’s pharmacists, your role in supporting the health and well-being of our communities, and the importance of publicly-funded services to our health system.” The changes that will be made to the ministerial order and come into effect on November 1 will be changing the Initial Assessment Fee for a Comprehensive Annual Care Plan from $100 to $70 and altering the maximum allowed follow-up visits per claimant per year from the last date of this plan or Standard Medication Management Assessment from 12 to four. She said the decision to make these changes to these pharmacy services has taken into consideration the financial sustainability of the Alberta government and pharmacies and minimize the impact to service quality and access to primary care for Albertans. Additionally, she confirmed these changes will continue to provide Albertans with access to their pharmacists for care plan assessments and follow-ups as needed. Care plans and follow-ups are the fastest-growing category of pharmacy services funded under the ministerial order, accounting for more than 65% of expenditures in 2023-2024. Alberta pharmacists receive higher than average fees for care plans and dispensing medications compared to other provinces. LaGrange concluded by saying the change in compensation for these services aligns with the care plan fee structure in other provinces funding these services. “Alberta pharmacists are important members of our healthcare teams and systems,” she said. “We look forward to continuing our positive, collaborative relationship with you and to engaging in meaningful dialogue with RxA as the representative voice for pharmacy in Alberta.” RxA President Brittany Zelmer said the Alberta government was moving forward with these changes when its survey had a 52% response rate and pharmacists provided valuable, solution-focused information. “This is not just a surprise — it’s a direct attack on the quality of care that pharmacists provide as we head into negotiations for a new agreement,” said Zelmer.“These cuts are a blatant contradiction to the concept of refocusing healthcare in Alberta and pose a significant threat to patient health and the overall healthcare system.” While anticipated expenditures for this year were based on previous trends, Zelmer said Alberta’s population is growing more than any other province in Canada and that the current strains on the healthcare system are leading more Albertans to turn to pharmacists to fill this gap. She called pharmacists “essential to our healthcare system, offering services that extend far beyond dispensing medications.”Emulating Alberta’s pharmacist-led clinic model could enhance access to primary care and help avoid unnecessary emergency room visits, according to a May study conducted by the Montreal Economic Institute (MEI)..Think tank says Alberta's pharmacist-led clinic model could improve health care access across Canada.“Pharmacists know medication better than anyone else in our health systems,” said former MEI senior public policy analyst and Alberta project lead Krystle Wittevrongel. “By unlocking their full potential in prescribing and substituting medications, Alberta’s pharmacist-led clinics have helped avoid tens of thousands of unnecessary emergency room visits.”
Alberta Health Minister Adriana LaGrange said the government will be making changes to the Compensation Plan for Pharmacy Services Ministerial Order after thorough consideration of survey input and the Alberta Pharmacists’ Association’s (RxA) proposals. LaGrange confirmed this approach “allows for timely implementation of expenditure controls to address concerns about total actual spending for pharmacy services exceeding the budgeted threshold in this fiscal year and to help address forecasted cost overruns in future years.” “The decision to change the Ministerial Order instead of triggering the Authorized Adjustment Policy engagement process was based on a number of factors, including a limited number of feasible options and the quality feedback that Alberta Health received through the consultation process and RxA’s members survey,” said LaGrange in a letter to Alberta pharmacists..In the last year, Alberta Health and RxA identified year-to-date actual pharmacy services expenditures were approaching and forecasted to exceed their agreed upon budgeted expenditure threshold for them for the 2024-2025 fiscal year. Without any steps being taken, they determined the amount for pharmacy services budgeted for the 2024-2025 fiscal year would be exceeded by about $30 million. As pharmacists might be aware, LaGrange said Alberta Health and RxA have been engaged in consultations to identify options for expenditure controls that would reduce future ones from exceeding the budget expenditure threshold. As health minister, she said she appreciates the input provided by pharmacists through RxA’s survey. She added these responses “provided meaningful and insightful perspectives on the priorities of Alberta’s pharmacists, your role in supporting the health and well-being of our communities, and the importance of publicly-funded services to our health system.” The changes that will be made to the ministerial order and come into effect on November 1 will be changing the Initial Assessment Fee for a Comprehensive Annual Care Plan from $100 to $70 and altering the maximum allowed follow-up visits per claimant per year from the last date of this plan or Standard Medication Management Assessment from 12 to four. She said the decision to make these changes to these pharmacy services has taken into consideration the financial sustainability of the Alberta government and pharmacies and minimize the impact to service quality and access to primary care for Albertans. Additionally, she confirmed these changes will continue to provide Albertans with access to their pharmacists for care plan assessments and follow-ups as needed. Care plans and follow-ups are the fastest-growing category of pharmacy services funded under the ministerial order, accounting for more than 65% of expenditures in 2023-2024. Alberta pharmacists receive higher than average fees for care plans and dispensing medications compared to other provinces. LaGrange concluded by saying the change in compensation for these services aligns with the care plan fee structure in other provinces funding these services. “Alberta pharmacists are important members of our healthcare teams and systems,” she said. “We look forward to continuing our positive, collaborative relationship with you and to engaging in meaningful dialogue with RxA as the representative voice for pharmacy in Alberta.” RxA President Brittany Zelmer said the Alberta government was moving forward with these changes when its survey had a 52% response rate and pharmacists provided valuable, solution-focused information. “This is not just a surprise — it’s a direct attack on the quality of care that pharmacists provide as we head into negotiations for a new agreement,” said Zelmer.“These cuts are a blatant contradiction to the concept of refocusing healthcare in Alberta and pose a significant threat to patient health and the overall healthcare system.” While anticipated expenditures for this year were based on previous trends, Zelmer said Alberta’s population is growing more than any other province in Canada and that the current strains on the healthcare system are leading more Albertans to turn to pharmacists to fill this gap. She called pharmacists “essential to our healthcare system, offering services that extend far beyond dispensing medications.”Emulating Alberta’s pharmacist-led clinic model could enhance access to primary care and help avoid unnecessary emergency room visits, according to a May study conducted by the Montreal Economic Institute (MEI)..Think tank says Alberta's pharmacist-led clinic model could improve health care access across Canada.“Pharmacists know medication better than anyone else in our health systems,” said former MEI senior public policy analyst and Alberta project lead Krystle Wittevrongel. “By unlocking their full potential in prescribing and substituting medications, Alberta’s pharmacist-led clinics have helped avoid tens of thousands of unnecessary emergency room visits.”
