Manulife has announced that its coverage of 260 specialty prescription drugs will apply only at Loblaw-owned pharmacies, a deal that was first reported by The Canadian Press on Tuesday.
This type of arrangement, called a preferred pharmacy network, is common in the United States and gaining traction in Canada.
Steve Morgan, a professor at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver and an expert on pharmacare systems, said that “we don’t know exactly how much of the savings that are generated get passed on to the consumer at the end of the day.”
CBC News reached out to Canada Life to ask whether the insurance company has exclusivity deals with pharmacies, but a spokesperson did not respond before deadline.
As for the co-pay — which is the standard rate that a person pays for their prescriptions and other pharmaceutical care — Mina Tadrous, an assistant professor at the University of Toronto’s faculty of pharmacy, said it depends on an individual’s specific insurance plan.
Some provinces have regulations that require a person’s written consent if an insurance agreement restricts access to their pharmacy of choice, including Ontario.
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Manulife has announced that its coverage of 260 specialty prescription drugs will apply only at Loblaw-owned pharmacies, a deal that was first reported by The Canadian Press on Tuesday.
This type of arrangement, called a preferred pharmacy network, is common in the United States and gaining traction in Canada.
Steve Morgan, a professor at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver and an expert on pharmacare systems, said that “we don’t know exactly how much of the savings that are generated get passed on to the consumer at the end of the day.”
CBC News reached out to Canada Life to ask whether the insurance company has exclusivity deals with pharmacies, but a spokesperson did not respond before deadline.
As for the co-pay — which is the standard rate that a person pays for their prescriptions and other pharmaceutical care — Mina Tadrous, an assistant professor at the University of Toronto’s faculty of pharmacy, said it depends on an individual’s specific insurance plan.
Some provinces have regulations that require a person’s written consent if an insurance agreement restricts access to their pharmacy of choice, including Ontario.
The original article contains 785 words, the summary contains 178 words. Saved 77%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!