Effective July 4, 2011, pharmacies in B.C. will no longer offer incentives such as loyalty points or rewards on the portion of prescriptions paid for by PharmaCare, in order to prevent taxpayer money from subsidizing these programs.

As part of the revised PharmaCare Enrolment Agreement that went into effect on October 15, 2010, pharmacies agreed to restrict the use of incentives to only the portion paid out-of-pocket by a patient. PharmaCare deferred this policy for loyalty or rewards programs until July 4, 2011, in order to allow sufficient transition time for pharmacies.

The purpose of the PharmaCare program is to assist British Columbians, particularly those with lower incomes, with the cost of eligible prescription drugs and designated medical supplies. It is not appropriate for taxpayers to be subsidizing incentive programs through PharmaCare payments.

For example, under the old system if a prescription costs $100 and a patient on PharmaCare only pays 30 per cent, the pharmacy still awards loyalty points for the entire $100 purchase. The result being PharmaCare subsidizes 70 per cent of the rewards the patient accumulates for merchandise or discounts. Effective July 4, 2011, the patient will receive incentives only for the portion not covered by PharmaCare. This makes the system equal for all British Columbians since these government-funded benefits are not available to taxpayers who don’t receive PharmaCare assistance.

This policy respects the right of pharmacies to operate competitively while allowing customers to still be able to choose a pharmacy based on an incentive program for the amount PharmaCare does not cover. British Columbians who are covered by an employer/union-paid drug plan or who pay for drugs out-of-pocket will not be affected by this policy change.

Contact:

Ryan Jabs
Media Relations Manager
Ministry of Health
250 952-1887 (media line)