The date Alberta Pharmaceutical Strategy Phase 2 is to be fully implemented, April 1, is fast approaching and although thousands have added their voices cautioning the government on what will happen to rural pharmacies because of this strategy, the policy change still has the green light.
The wonderfully worded press releases that have accompanied this planned change have all been positive, reflecting on the fact that Albertans will save money because of APS-2. The detrimental side effects have not been publicly explored.
It goes without saying that the money being saved has to be coming out of someone’s pocket, and in this case it comes out of the white lab coat pocket of our local pharmacists. City pharmacies may not feel the pinch right away since most have front-end businesses where the greater part of their profits are made. In fact, in some cases, the pharmacy really isn’t expected to turn a buck - it is just a small component of a much larger store installed to draw customers into the establishment which is likely why it is located way at the back and patrons have to walk through isles of prettily encased sale tagged goods before ever finding the drug store counter.
However, rural and independent pharmacies as well as those which specialize in medical equipment will be the first to feel the sting.
The question is: Will they survive until a plan emerges which pays pharmacists for all the work they do beyond filling prescriptions, and will that payment schedule be enough to replace what the government is taking away.
The way pharmacies make profits currently is obviously imperfect, however it is precipitous to implement cuts without having the way you are going to reimburse those cuts completely figured out. The logic of proceeding on such a pathway is faulty to say the least. So why not stop, take a second look at the strategy, then go ahead when all the components of the plan are in actually in place?
Rural Albertan towns have suffered enough. Many factors combine making it more and more difficult for businesses to survive in these areas. Because of the wonderful quality of life offered in these small towns, some business people decide to face all the challenges and establish themselves locally in spite of them. Rural residents cherish these businesses whether they be car dealerships, grocery stores or pharmacies. If the government truly supports rural Alberta, as it says it does, then it needs to show it by carefully considering the impact any strategy it decides to put forward will have on these already beleaguered areas.
Albertans can ensure this happens by keeping their objections to strategies like APS-2 on the forefront of the minds of all our representatives - and that means if the April 1 deadline passes and nothing is done to alleviate the problems APS - 2 will cause, then perhaps more letters need to be sent in and more people need to sign those petitions.
If that doesn’t work, perhaps people need to show their ire over being ignored by marking their ‘X’ in a different spot during the next election.