Pharmacy colleges in BC and Alberta still favour inducement bans, but not right away

摘要

Pharmacy regulators in British Columbia and Alberta say they remain committed to ending consumer inducements for pharmacy services, but both colleges have put the controversial changes on the back burner for the time being.In the fall of 2012, the Alberta College of Pharmacists (ACP) proposed banning inducements on the grounds that rewards, loyalty-program points and coupons can lead patients to make unhealthy choices and that they undermine the patient-pharmacist relationship."Pharmacists cannot provide the best care when their patients transfer from pharmacy to pharmacy in pursuit of inducements," said the ACP in a backgrounder on the issue. The College also expressed concern about patients delaying getting their medication or interrupting drug therapy to capitalize on an upcoming inducement campaign.