Shoppers Drug Mart invoiced the Ontario government’s MedsCheck program a total of $81.2 million for conducting medication reviews between the fiscal years 2022-23 and 2023-24. Current and former pharmacists disclosed facing “unethical” corporate pressure to achieve targets for this professional service. This amount exceeds by $8 million the combined billing for the same services over the previous six years, as revealed in data obtained by CBC News through a freedom of information request.
Aly Háji, a regulatory lawyer specializing in pharmacy health-care law, noted a significant increase in MedsChecks despite reduced revenues from services like COVID shots during the pandemic. This trend highlights concerns about the corporatization of healthcare, where healthcare professionals face conflicting loyalties between the corporation and patient care.
Medication reviews involve discussions between pharmacists and patients to review prescriptions and ensure proper medication use. Eligible individuals in Ontario include those on at least three medications for chronic conditions, residents of licensed long-term care homes, and individuals receiving diabetes treatment. Pharmacies can bill the government $60 for an annual medication review, $75 for diabetes patients, and $25 for follow-up sessions.
Shoppers Drug Mart, along with other pharmacy chains, collectively billed the province $293.2 million for medication reviews from the 2013-14 fiscal year to the end of October 2024. Shoppers accounted for 77% of this total, amounting to $225.3 million across approximately 682 pharmacy locations annually. Despite comprising over half of the total number of pharmacies among the eight chains, Shoppers’ revenue per pharmacy surpasses that of its counterparts, reflecting a concerning disparity.
Following a CBC News investigation revealing corporate pressure on pharmacy owners to meet targets for services like medication reviews, the Ministry of Health provided billing data for eight pharmacy corporations in Ontario. Shoppers Drug Mart and other chains emphasized patient care as a priority in their emailed statements.
The MedsCheck program underwent modifications in March 2020 to allow pharmacists to conduct reviews over the phone due to the pandemic. Shoppers Drug Mart’s billing for medication reviews surged in recent years, prompting calls for program reforms to address concerns of undue corporate influence and ensure ethical patient care delivery. The Ontario College of Pharmacists highlighted ongoing investigations into business pressures and emphasized the need to safeguard professional autonomy and patient well-being in pharmacy settings.