The
Government of Ontario Finalizes Reforms To Lower Generic Drug Prices.
Ontario is lowering generic drug prices and making improvements to the
province's drug system to benefit all Ontarians. These improvements
include:
-
Lowering the price of most generic drugs by at least 50 percent.
-
Eliminating so-called 'professional allowances' - payments generic drug companies make to pharmacy owners in exchange for stocking their products.
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Supporting access to pharmacy services in rural communities by increasing the dispensing fees paid to rural pharmacies by as much as $5 per prescription filled.
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Expanding the MedsCheck program to assist people with diabetes, long-term care home residents and people who have difficulty travelling to their local pharmacy.
-
Creating a transition fund to assist pharmacies in adapting to the fairer drug system.
The changes, which are part of
the government's Open Ontario plan, will begin to take effect on July 1,
2010.
QUOTES
"This is about doing the right thing. We're getting Ontarians lower
drug prices, cleaning up a system that was open to abuse and strengthening
pharmacy services in this province. All Ontarians are going to benefit
from these changes."
