Drug battle between pharmacies and province escalating
Posted April 13, 2010 11:25 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
It’s an escalating drug war between pharmacies and the province.
The McGuinty government’s plan to outlaw professional allowance fees paid to drug stores by generic drug companies is now under fire from a second big drugstore chain.
Protest action by the big drug chains is expanding.
Rexall said it’s imposing a hiring freeze and will charge for prescription deliveries starting Monday.
Premier Dalton McGuinty said he has no sympathy for the big drug companies, he said he’s only concerned about cutting costs for consumers.
“The fact is we’re paying 25 to 75 per cent more than they do in other places around the world and yet we’re the second biggest purchaser of drugs in the world,” McGuinty said. “So we think that we should be getting a better bargain for Ontario families.”
The pharmacies are angry over a government plan to cut generic drug costs by reducing payments from drug makers to pharmacies.
Shoppers Drug Mart is protesting by cutting store hours near London-area, the home riding of Health Minister Deb Matthews.
