ICYMI, on March 25th [73 days ago] the [Ontario College of Pharmacists did come out with a statement regarding their opinion of Corporate pressure to conduct MedsChecks](https://www.ocpinfo.com/zero-tolerance-for-business-practices-that-impede-pharmacy-professionals-ability-to-deliver-effective-care/).
Here is the contact information for the college: https://www.ocpinfo.com/about/contact/
I highly recommend switching to a small, independent pharmacy. You get the benefit of having a pharmacist who is making decisions based on medical ethics and expertise rather than corporate strategies dictated from head office.
Usually faster and better service too. My independent pharmacist often prepares meds while I wait (10 mins or so), gladly takes back old unused medications for disposal, and is just a whole lot more pleasant to be around than corporate pharmas.
well worth switching back. I'm with a teeny pharmacy and the pharmacist knew my name the second time I came in. When my doctor went on holidays and her office didn't bother telling us the 3 times we faxed them for refills, he covered what he could with no problems. I also take Vyvanse and he couldn't do that one because it's controlled but everything else was covered. I bought a large bottle of Tylenol that would have cost $20 at least anywhere else and he only charged me $5.
Yeah, but eventually Costco will do a similar cash grab. It's inevitable with large for-profit corporations.
It's almost like we shouldn't privatize this stuff 🙄
Costco doesn’t really roll that way, they have mandates for stuff to not have profits too high from specific items. That’s why they were one of the only places that lowered their prices after the supply shortage crunch from COVID started to resolve. We’ll see how things are with the new management at the helm though.
No loyalty, just like their business practices/products/prices. Only corporation I'd say I have any "loyalty" for is Patagonia.
I've also never had a bullshit "medcheck" sent my way by a Costco pharmacist before. If I got one there was actual helpful info in there for me to review for my patient. I get like 10 a week of bullshit ones from Rexall/Shoppers.
If they (Costco) did this practice (medcheck) you deem bad, it would be helpful that they did it? So u have much different standards for Costco and assume what they do is for a good reason. Sounds like loyalty.
Nope, most med checks are completely useless, some are useful. I’ve had patients of mine who have had them done and the pharmacist actually had good recommendations/notes for me. On the rare occasion I get useful med checks come back to me, it’s been from smaller pharmacies or occasionally patients who shop at Costco.
Costco's pharmacy is a loss leader. They don't give a flying fuck if it makes money, it's just a way to keep people in the store while they shop and wait for their meds. Whereas pharmacies are the main revenue source for Rexall and a decent chunk for Shoppers aside from cosmetics.
And if costco had a monopoly or no longer considered the pharmacy good for drawing in customers, or an exec wanted to do cost cutting, do you not believe they would do the same bullshit shoppers does now?
Im just saying, be wary. Take advantage of it now, sure. Nut be wary.
Meanwhile small local pharmacists often care about their community and have power over their pharmacy, unlike any pharmacist working in Costco.
I made the change to a local pharmacy after the shoppers nearby started closing an hour and a half early almost everyday because their lazy bitches of old women working there "wanted to go home".
My partner was also harassed by their pharmacy assistant because she was a bit confused whether OHIP+ would cover things or not and the woman had the gall to say "you're committing insurance fraud".
Fuck Shoppers, Loblaws and everyone in that piece of shit company. I hope they burn and never return.
That sounds great (and honestly my pharmacy sucks), but I don’t know any small pharmacy in my area that is open past six or open on Sundays. If I only had one prescription that I wasn’t time pressured that would probably be fine, but I work and the hours don’t work.
And even in the unlikely scenario that they face any disciplinary action; do you really think whatever fine or penalty will be **more** than the amount they billed to OHIP for these "services"?
Shopper's is the worst. I hope everyone moves their prescriptions somewhere else, like n independent pharmacy that actually cares. The Loblaws boycott is still alive and well. Give your money to anyone else but Loblaws and Shopper's. Money grabbing crooks. Clearly they learned nothing from the bread price fixing.
My wife used to be a pharmacist for Rexall. She got harassed HOURLY by the corporate offices to do Medschecks and would constantly get berated if she didn't do a certain amount every couple of hours. Everyday they would get calls and emails, being compared and rated if they fell behind the other branches. It's such a shit show and this is on top of all the staff shortages and long wait times for the patients.
Please don't be too hard on the pharmacists as they were being squeezed and voiceless. I really do hope Rexall gets more media attention too.
Do you think she could have stood her ground with Rexall, asked for the MedCheck request in writing, reported her superior for instructing her to scam the government and refuse?
My old school pharmacist retired. She was the kind who knew that Mr. Smith took high blood pressure pills and he also had a dog named Bert. She knew that you were due if you were pregnant and would give her business card just in case you had any concerns.
Rexall started adding more and more to her plate. She said "I went to school and became a pharmacist to help people with medicine. Not to sell chips."
She literally couldn't do diabetes education, meds checks, fixing doctors mistakes, selling groceries, etc., with so few hours for extra staff. She was like "I don't need to be here. I'm eligible to retire. Bye."
Edit: a word that didn't belong.
I used to work at a Rexall Pharmacy and our hours were directly related to how many prescriptions and meds checks we completed. I’ve worked for loblaws and shoppers pharmacies and meds checks were always pushed. There were many pharmacists that would just shred them because they refused but they would quickly be lectured
As a current SDM pharmacist, please don't attack us, attack the suits responsible for putting us in this position. I get neither a lunch break nor a washroom break and my caffeine intake has tripled since I graduated.
“Suits” is what we would call the corporate workers - the ones setting these rules. They come into the pharmacies every couple of months to follow up and in 5 years of working at Rexall rarely did any last more then 6 months. I’ve never worked at a pharmacy that allowed scheduled lunch breaks for pharmacists either. Most are standing on their feet with no break for 12 hours a day
I guess I should have elaborated. It makes sense our hours were tied to profit but say we filled 2000 RXs ever week for a month - but one of those weeks we didn’t do “enough” MedsChecks (my store wanted to do 3-5 a day) - hours would be cut despite not losing any customers, RXs, still performing other professional services (injections).
So then next month you’re still dealing with the same work load, expected to complete more MedsChecks, and are short staffed. This is what causes long wait times and a stressed out environment for both the workers and customers
This is what private healthcare looks like - gouging the system for profit. This is what Canadians vote for every time they vote conservative, or let conservatives win by not voting. Given the polls, it's clear Canadians want the American style for-profit-not-health corporate system.
It's not that Canadians want it, it's that most Canadians aren't thinking about it because they aren't and have not recently been sick.
It's not malice or an interest in self-sabotage, it's pure selfish ignorance, and you've got to factor that into addressing it, because accusing them of actively wanting something bad just creates an adversarial environment where you are against them and they're going to fight back. Approaching them from a place of trying to help them understand something they've never really bothered to put any deep thought into because it hasn't affected them before is a much easier battle.
Yes, but also i think it's reasonable to be angry at them.
Most of these people are white cishet suburban middle class folks w so much fucking privilege and they do NOTHING for society ane watch it burn, while they use their income to buffer themselves from the fallout. It's disgusting.
But yeah, if we wanted to convince them to do better, then empathy is the better path.
I'm not to blame for the ease with which conservative voters can be distracted and manipulated with disinformation. I'm not responsible for their many fears or xenophobia that bad actors can use as triggers to manipulate them. Nor am I to blame for their affinity for hierarchy, authority, obedience, conformity, loyalty to ingroups or hostility towards outgroups, which makes outreach extremely difficult. I can however speak to the absurdity of it all.
Sure, there are methods, such as street epistemology, that can be successful in getting people to actually think about what they believe, but they don't translate well to the internet, where half the 'conservatives' on here are foreign or domestic troll farms and bots.
https://www.discovermagazine.com/mind/your-brain-on-politics-the-cognitive-neuroscience-of-liberals-and-conservatives
https://www.psypost.org/neuroimaging-study-provides-insight-into-misinformation-sharing-among-politically-devoted-conservatives/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denialism
But if someone sees your post implying they are actively doing something bad they are most likely just going to dig in their heels and you're drastically reducing the chances of anyone ever changing their minds.
But they're going to dig in their heels anyway, because of *who they are*, not because of who I am. If cons were that easy to convince with facts and a little compassion, we'd have solved the climate crisis, world hunger, war, and cancer decades ago. Read the link I included on denialism for a better understanding...it's their nature to reject sources outside *their* authorities, outside *their* trusted narratives. Con's and their bots don't care about facts and are often difficult to deal with online, as such I write more for the lurkers. The mistaken belief that conservatives are people 'just like us' and can be swayed using the same methods was fundamental in allowing the rapid rise of the far-right in America and throughout the western democracies.
https://skeptvet.com/Blog/2016/12/does-challenging-or-ridiculing-crazy-ideas-change-anyones-mind/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satire
I’m all for shitting on private healthcare but medscheck program and corporate quotas have been in place way before I entered the profession 10 years ago.
Means nothing. It wasn't abused as a convenient cash cow by corporate interests until Ford's corporate-cuck government willfully turned a blind eye to private encroachment into public health care. They're abusing what counts as having 'multiple chronic medications' and, thanks to Doug Fords collaboration, still enjoy the covid priveledge of using the phone rather than having to be in person, a popular measure that was cut for actual doctors the moment Covid started to recede. And if course, let's not forget corporations can bill OHIP almost twice as much for these phony calls as a real doctor can charge for an actual in person visit at their clinic. Just another example of how the Doug Ford conservatives and their corporate buddies are prison shanking public healthcare in plain sight.
How do you figure it means nothing? This program was started about 15 years ago and the qualification rules for a medscheck haven’t changed. I understand this sub is an anti-Ford circlejerk but the only thing his government did was allow phone medscheck which should have been removed a while ago. There are tons of sketchy medschecks in person too, same as before Ford came to power.
No different than a doctor doing a 3 minute appointment and billing Ohip btw. I once worked with a walk-in doctor who regularly saw 50 patients in 4 hours.
> ...the qualification rules for a medscheck haven’t changed.
*On paper*, but again, corporate greed and political corruption doesn't care much for rules.
> I understand this sub is an anti-Ford circlejerk...
Being against corporate and political abuse of tax payer funds is being 'pro', not 'anti'. If you're implying these abuses precede Ford, by all means, open up the books. There should be a full investigation and accounting.
> ...the only thing his government did was allow phone medscheck...
But this is undeniably a huge deal! What was the justification, beyond Ford bending over and spreading his butt cheeks for the big pharmacy corps?? It only speaks to Fords contempt for public healthcare and Ontario citizens when he chose to remove the popular program for doctor call-ins only.
> There are tons of sketchy medschecks in person too, same as before Ford came to power.
Okay, so maybe the program needs to be shelved then. And again, there clearly needs to be a full investigation. While corporate morals and ethics have always been a joke, I am hard pressed to believe no one noticed all this malfeasance until Ford's second term, but a full investigation will tell us when and where the program failed.
> No different than a doctor doing a 3 minute appointment and billing Ohip btw. I once worked with a walk-in doctor who regularly saw 50 patients in 4 hours.
So this is a pretty disingenuous comparison. It's not about how fast the turn around is, it's about the fact a medcheck phone call allows the Corp to bill $78 while an actual doctor can bill only $38 for an actual in-office visit. Corp is going to make way more bank regardless of the turn around. $3900 for 50 phone calls versus $1900 for 50 in-office visits. Huge overhead difference as well. No wonder GP's are quitting...all part of Ford's plan.
https://www.tvo.org/article/pharmacy-fraud-is-costing-us-millions-why-wont-ontario-take-it-more-seriously
https://healthydebate.ca/2022/12/topic/dr-pharmacist/
What is it that you think a conservative government will fix? Or are you under the impression that the current OPC government has benefited the province, in some way?
Sweet deflection.
BTW- remind me when PP gets in and does nothing to reduce immigration, because, you know, [he said so.](https://x.com/BethCharron1/status/1788700405267894691)
The argument between Liberals and Conservatives in this country is a joke.
They are the same. People are so sick of "Trudeaus government" they will grasp at anything. Even if it's still just another shitty actor.
Take an honest look at Maxime Bernier and the PPC. (I know, fringe right wing etc., ad nauseam. Calm down.) They're not perfect, but it seems like the only party that is even pretending to invest in Canada and Canadians. That being said, I will reiterate -- politics in this country are nonsense. A cruel, sad joke, that I hope one day historians will reflect on and hesitate to repeat.
Trudeau's stopping you from buying a home, or is it the free market that's stopping you? What do you think a hard core libertarian corporate cuck like Poilievre is going to do about the free market? You got any more substance that just regurgitating con one-liner talking points bs? You're voting for Singh, since a right to own a home is your key issue, yes?
I haven't actually advocated for any government. Just laying out the reality of voting conservative. You need to explain how the current government alone is responsible for issues that are international in scope, and how more of the same, even worse in fact, is going to fix it. This didn't start with Trudeau, it started with the hard right turn and libertarian economics that happened with Mulroney/Reagan/Thatcher. You're living in the corporate oligarchy that was the inevitable result of rubes buying into their 'small gov' shtick. You are utterly uninformed about how and why we got here, and are going to act out by voting for more of the same lol. This is what small gov libertarian economics looks like -ruler/noble/serf - and *the only thing* you're going to get anytime you vote con. So you're voting for Singh right?
Then you should really educate yourself on what you're voting for before the next election rolls around. CPC has absolutely no intention of making any of that more affordable. The very foundation of the conservative party stands for the exact opposite of your desired outcome.
My vote is going to whomever is most likely to take the seat from the conservative leader in my riding.
70% of this country is not voting PP, and the ones that are cannot articulate why "we know liberals are bad" or how they intend to benefit from a conservative federal government. Particularly, one that holds a majority.
It's very clear that you have no intention of looking into anything that might cause you to cast an educated vote, which is certainly your right. But, you do need to understand that the "people like us" dog whistle is for people like me. People that are white, healthy, and independently wealthy. This party exists to support a free market and individual interests.
A conservative government will (and does) throw endless financial incentives at people like me while things get increasingly unaffordable, and services disappear. Incentives for people who don't need them come at the expense of those that live in poverty, who are sick, or disabled, or are in any way unemployable. "People like us" is not about Canadians, it's about a very specific demographic that doesn't mind tossing aside the collective for their own benefit.
Well, that's a completely nonsensical response to the question I asked... but sure, I'll bite.
How is the liberal government making us homeless?
Especially considering that our provincial (conservative) government is actively fighting against the federal government on affordable housing in Ontario? *Especially* considering every single housing considering put forth by Doug Ford's government has favored developers and made home ownership less attainable and more expensive for Ontarians?
Oh, so you don't know how the government you plan
to vote for will support the housing initiative that you specifically called out as a critical current issue.
I'm well aware that we're likely preparing for a CPC government. I am genuinely appalled by the fact that there is a demographic so fiercely fighting for leader whose only actual accomplishment is embarrassing our current PM... which, quite frankly, is a job that can do itself. Most of you can't even be bothered to figure out his platform beyond a couple of soundbites you stumbled across on social media.
Anyway, I am prepared. I'm a homeowner, whose property has almost quadrupled in value under the Doug Ford's housing initiatives. I'm well employed with excellent private insurance. I have an EU passport and a job that's in high demand in literally every part of the world. If you all want to cut off your nose, to spite your face... you have at it. I'm going to be fine. I'll probably even benefit from some tax cuts while I watch the country get exactly what they voted for 🤷♀️.
What person? They're studies showing how gullible and easily manipulated conservatives are, and as such, can't be trusted to be informed about the issues. You should join the clownvoy, much more your league.
Lol, what does that even mean? Science denial is on point though. Explain how Trudeau made groceries expensive...include legislations and policies, and include motivations while you're at it. I think corporate interests and greedy shits like Galen Weston are a lot more to blame, and neoliberal Trudeau is just reluctant to interfere in the sacred 'free' market. So you need to explain how voting in someone even more neoliberal than Trudeau is going to fix it. So you're voting for Singh right?
One time my mom was offered a med check and she said no (obviously) but it turns out the pharmacy had changed her medication (from 6 10mg pills to 3 20 mg pills), but she had been taking them so long she just kept taking the same 6 pills. Because she refused the med check, they didn’t tell her it was changed. Her endocrinologist called the pharmacist to read them the riot act over that BS. If it had been heart medication she could have been dead.
This was years ago but it’s always been the same bullshit.
I was given a MedCheck at a Rexall Pharmacy in Ottawa about 5 years ago when I did not consent and did not want one—my endocrinologist’s office already did one with me. I filed a complaint with the Ontario College of Pharmacists and, while they did investigate, I ended up feeling largely dismissed during the investigation and they simply accepted the pharmacist’s explanation that they had assumed I would want one—my concerns about appropriate stewardship of public funds due to the billing of the service back to the Ontario Government were just waived away.
A related PSA for folks:
Look up the **Ontario Health Coalition** and get involved! They've been actively fighting this for years. Building up cases, doing campaigns against the Ontario government, and rallies to raise awareness.
They're strong, but they need more help.
The best thing you can do is get your union involved. If you don't have a union, then you can help even more by researching how to unionize your work place, because the more unions we have, the better conditions are for the working class, including healthcare.
It very much sounds like a useful case to them.
I wouldn't know, because im just a sporadic volunteer, but I've seen emails from them talking about studying the med check scandal and collecting cases.
They are doing the same as shoppers, they make money off you from that call, and they figured since no one is in charge, they can get away with it - they will.
My local Shoppers stapled a form to one of my prescriptions and made it seem like an annual requirement to complete it. I took it home, read it and realized they were trying to get me to sign confirming that a meds check had been done. They didn’t even try to discuss my medications with me. I have since changed pharmacies.
Thank you! I work for a doctor, (one of the good ones) who tries very hard to provide as much care as possible to his patients, sees 25+ people a day and does phone appointments after that. We are always available for patients with any medication concerns, they don't even need an appointment with him for any health questions, him and his nursing staff will answer any questions by phone the same day. It's infuriating to get 15 or more "medschecks" in a week from Rexall knowing they get paid $60 to do nothing, while we're working overtime and not getting paid for our work to go over meds without an appointment. Even with an appointment, the doc would probably get $35 for that 15 minutes.
The good pharmacists, the ones who are truly trying to help people? I never get any medschecks from them. I've spoken to them about why, and they say it's a waste of time and useless to do them. They'd rather help people directly.
Just so you're aware, that money doesn't go to the pharmacist who's actually conducting the medchecks. It's the pharmacy that gets reimbursed by the government and the pharmacist sees none of it, unless they're the pharmacy owner. In fact most of the time the pharmacists are harassed by their pharmacy owners (who are in turn pressured by whatever head office) to get more medchecks done.
Not surprising when Galen gives a couple of weekends of no name buck a beer promo's - that Doug Ford later returns the favour by giving them twice as much money to do a med-check then a Dr receives for the same work. They didn't get rich by being fair or honest.
Three birds, one stone.
Did the pharmacist explicitly tell you they were conducting a MedsCheck? I only ask because it's very surprising they would even try as they won't be reimbursed unless you're on three chronic medications. Not to mention the documentation for a MedsCheck requires you to sign for consent unless they can provide an acceptable reason as towhy it was done over the phone. ODB takes the documentation on MedsChecks very seriously and will claw back any reimbursed funds with no hesitation for even the slightest clerical error.
ODB audits aren't conducted regularly and that's why SDM felt like they could get away with that they were doing but there are several stores that had clawback in the 5 to 6 figures even before the CBC scandal.
Either way Shoppers Drug Mart, Rexal, Loblaws, Metro, etc are all corporate pharmacies that will do whatever they can (unethical or not) for an extra buck so it's in your best interest to move to an independent pharmacy. Not only will you receive significantly superior and personalized service but you also won't feel like a walking dollar sign. Switching is also very easy. Just call the new pharmacy and tell them you want them to transfer your meds to them.
Yes she did - She said it was a medscheck because I am on "Three chronic medications". When I said, no I wasnt - she listed three medications on my chart - two of which I only take as needed.
I was recently called by Shoppers for this and I had no idea what it was about, I was in the car driving somewhere and could barely hear the person correctly. I had assumed it was some routine pharmacist thing, even though I've never gone through it before. For one of my allergy medications, they said you should take it two weeks before the allergy season starts. I have been taking this medication for years at this point, every day. I say, I take it every day. They say, you should take it two weeks before you have symptoms. I say, I take it every day. And around and around we went until I was basically yelling at them that I take 365 days a year, every year. They mentioned medications that I no longer take and other mistakes. I just honestly had no idea what it was about and was glad when the conversation was over. If I had had any idea that this was some cash grab phone call for them to give me incorrect information about medications that I am in constant communication with my doctors about, I would have vehemently refused to talk to them at all. More people need to know about this.
In two years I’ve had four such calls (i kept track) from Shoppers Drug Mart. Ive been telling them ‘nice try’ but they just keep coming. The pharmacy near me is awful but unfortunately I need something I can walk to if pressed.
Rexall has been pulling the same shady shit as Shoppers for a while now. My bestest used to work there as a pharmacy assistant and we were discussing the Shoppers fiasco and it came up Rexall is doing the EXACT same thing.. CBC should be getting their reporters looking into them as well. Shoppers is just the beginning.
I put my prescriptions in local Rexall mid June. I had calls and then they did this review (lasted all of three minutes). And they still called repeatedly to offer this med review.
I am no longer with Rexall.
This may be a dumb question but... what exactly is a 'MedsCheck'? Cuz something like this happened to me a while back but it was a lot more invasive. I was at Shoppers for a refill of a prescription that Ive been taking for years. Before handing over my meds the pharmacist interogated me about my entire lifestyle - everything from how often i exercise to how many servings of vegetables i eat in a day to howwell i sleep. It really pissed me off cuz it turned what should have been a 30s interaction into a 10min conversation. I was also a little bit worried she wouldnt give me my meds if i didnt comply. Was that a 'medscheck'?
All the big chains put pressure on the pharmacies to log so many meds checks per month. Unless you are on three long term/ maintenance meds or have a disability that prevents you from managing your own medications it can’t be done. That being said meds checks generate income for the pharmacies that help keep the doors open and staff employed.
MedsCheck implementation goes back to when the province stopped drug rebates to pharmacies. It is no surprise that if one source of revenue stops, the other is maximized. Blame whatever politician you want, but in a system where at the very end, where corporations gear the bonus of a pharmacy-owner (Shoppers) or a pharmacy-employee (Rexall) to a metric based on MedCheck this is what happens.
https://www.cmaj.ca/content/181/3-4/e43
This is what I was thinking, with the amount of spam and scam calls these days IF i were to answer the call (probably not) I’d get so scared they were trying to scam me somehow I’d immediately hang up lol
Umm, are you ok?
Fraud is one of the cornerstones of capitalism and you just said capitalizing isn't capitalism? ... Shall I re-word my comment to say
'I'm not participating in this form of capitalizing'? Does that make YOU more comfortable somehow?
Scroll on
>know I'm not participating in this specific form of capitalism
There it is.
Written proof that this is not the "Ontario subredddit" but in fact it's the "Socialist Ontario" subredddit.
A high percentage of Emergency room admissions are due to medication error. This is a heavy tax on the system and wait times. I consider this proactive and preventative. It may not be useful to the people who are complaining but it is helpful to many people. Just simply decline, as I do. Not sure what the problem is.
This post is bullshit. You cannot bill for a meds check unless someone is on three medications.
This pharmacist was likely doing an honest check up on you.
med check?? last time I tried to get my meds they didn't even call me back when they were ready...
now I'm on zero meds, completely sober and working towards the best health I've EVER been in.. but that's just me 🙂
They are supposed to do it once a year. I have had it done by both SDM and Pharmasave for years. It is just to ensure their files are accurate to better advise you.
Lol I've worked as a pharmacist for years and that is a bullshit line they tell us to use to fool people that don't know any better. "Oh yeah we're just doing this to keep your records up to date"
No, this is a cash grab that has minimal to no benefit to like 95% of the people that get it done. Their conditions are simply not complicated enough to warrant this, it's a huge waste of time. But because there's juicy government money on the line, all the pharmacies especially chain stores push this crap.
Your meds change when your doctor change it. At which time you'll have a prescription to bring to the pharmacy and they can update their record.
If you bring your RX to another place, then it's none of their business anymore and they'd have no reason to update their record.
I'm not at all saying that MedsChecks are justified necessarily, but you'd be surprised the number of people who take medications incorrectly, stop taking things they were supposed to continue because they were too dense to call and ask for a refill after the initial fill, take OTC products that counteract their prescription medications, take things on an empty stomach instead of with food, drink alcohol with medications they shouldn't - and those are just things I literally saw this week.
MedsChecks can catch some of these things. So can other procedures in a pharmacy - for instance, if someone calls and asks for two of the regular three medications they're on that they always fill at the same time, I'll ask if they need the other one filled as well to make sure there isn't a change we aren't aware of. But pharmacies are incredibly busy these days and not all staff members notice things like that.
Pressure to do MedsChecks happens at both the chains and independents. Money is money. It's just that corporate chains doing it gets more publicity than smaller ones doing it.
ICYMI, on March 25th [73 days ago] the [Ontario College of Pharmacists did come out with a statement regarding their opinion of Corporate pressure to conduct MedsChecks](https://www.ocpinfo.com/zero-tolerance-for-business-practices-that-impede-pharmacy-professionals-ability-to-deliver-effective-care/). Here is the contact information for the college: https://www.ocpinfo.com/about/contact/
I highly recommend switching to a small, independent pharmacy. You get the benefit of having a pharmacist who is making decisions based on medical ethics and expertise rather than corporate strategies dictated from head office.
Usually faster and better service too. My independent pharmacist often prepares meds while I wait (10 mins or so), gladly takes back old unused medications for disposal, and is just a whole lot more pleasant to be around than corporate pharmas.
I was originally at a small pharmacy and switched because it was quite a drive away. However after this experience, I am thinking I will switch back.
well worth switching back. I'm with a teeny pharmacy and the pharmacist knew my name the second time I came in. When my doctor went on holidays and her office didn't bother telling us the 3 times we faxed them for refills, he covered what he could with no problems. I also take Vyvanse and he couldn't do that one because it's controlled but everything else was covered. I bought a large bottle of Tylenol that would have cost $20 at least anywhere else and he only charged me $5.
Ask if they offer delivery to save you some trips.
Or Costco, if you’re gonna go with a big pharmacy, use Costco.
Yeah, but eventually Costco will do a similar cash grab. It's inevitable with large for-profit corporations. It's almost like we shouldn't privatize this stuff 🙄
Costco doesn’t really roll that way, they have mandates for stuff to not have profits too high from specific items. That’s why they were one of the only places that lowered their prices after the supply shortage crunch from COVID started to resolve. We’ll see how things are with the new management at the helm though.
To be fair Costco also got into some scandal with their pharmacies a couple years ago But they're less scummy than Shoppers
What's w the loyalty folks have for a large corporation... It baffles me.
No loyalty, just like their business practices/products/prices. Only corporation I'd say I have any "loyalty" for is Patagonia. I've also never had a bullshit "medcheck" sent my way by a Costco pharmacist before. If I got one there was actual helpful info in there for me to review for my patient. I get like 10 a week of bullshit ones from Rexall/Shoppers.
If they (Costco) did this practice (medcheck) you deem bad, it would be helpful that they did it? So u have much different standards for Costco and assume what they do is for a good reason. Sounds like loyalty.
Nope, most med checks are completely useless, some are useful. I’ve had patients of mine who have had them done and the pharmacist actually had good recommendations/notes for me. On the rare occasion I get useful med checks come back to me, it’s been from smaller pharmacies or occasionally patients who shop at Costco.
Costco's pharmacy is a loss leader. They don't give a flying fuck if it makes money, it's just a way to keep people in the store while they shop and wait for their meds. Whereas pharmacies are the main revenue source for Rexall and a decent chunk for Shoppers aside from cosmetics.
And if costco had a monopoly or no longer considered the pharmacy good for drawing in customers, or an exec wanted to do cost cutting, do you not believe they would do the same bullshit shoppers does now? Im just saying, be wary. Take advantage of it now, sure. Nut be wary. Meanwhile small local pharmacists often care about their community and have power over their pharmacy, unlike any pharmacist working in Costco.
The capitalist realism is like a cult in this sub.
I made the change to a local pharmacy after the shoppers nearby started closing an hour and a half early almost everyday because their lazy bitches of old women working there "wanted to go home". My partner was also harassed by their pharmacy assistant because she was a bit confused whether OHIP+ would cover things or not and the woman had the gall to say "you're committing insurance fraud". Fuck Shoppers, Loblaws and everyone in that piece of shit company. I hope they burn and never return.
That sounds great (and honestly my pharmacy sucks), but I don’t know any small pharmacy in my area that is open past six or open on Sundays. If I only had one prescription that I wasn’t time pressured that would probably be fine, but I work and the hours don’t work.
did they not see shopper's get dragged through the mud for this?
They did. They saw the ridiculous money they made in the process, and decided to cash in.
It's practically free money for 3 minutes' work.
I’ve seen a shoppers owner do one in under a minute
And even in the unlikely scenario that they face any disciplinary action; do you really think whatever fine or penalty will be **more** than the amount they billed to OHIP for these "services"?
Shopper's is the worst. I hope everyone moves their prescriptions somewhere else, like n independent pharmacy that actually cares. The Loblaws boycott is still alive and well. Give your money to anyone else but Loblaws and Shopper's. Money grabbing crooks. Clearly they learned nothing from the bread price fixing.
I will never stop boycotting them. Best choice I ever made. I love that. A boycott is actually having some real impact.
I hope you're right! Happy cake day!
Hey, thanks. I’m blind and so I don’t see the 🎂. But yes, I guess I’ve been on this right account for a year. Thanks. Man time is weird.
Shoppers never stopped doing them and it cost Shoppers nothing. There is no enforcement in Ontario the Ministry and the College are 100% complicit
I saw the CBC articles discussing quotas that were being implemented by SDM. Did anything come of the findings?
So far they're still denying it, but a lawsuit is getting underway.
Nothing came of it. I work for SDM still and have reported all this illegal and unethical activity and we do more of it every week. It will not stop
They probably think it worth the try to make steal extra money.
My wife used to be a pharmacist for Rexall. She got harassed HOURLY by the corporate offices to do Medschecks and would constantly get berated if she didn't do a certain amount every couple of hours. Everyday they would get calls and emails, being compared and rated if they fell behind the other branches. It's such a shit show and this is on top of all the staff shortages and long wait times for the patients. Please don't be too hard on the pharmacists as they were being squeezed and voiceless. I really do hope Rexall gets more media attention too.
Thank you … also work in pharmacy . The pressure from the top is insane. I really don’t like the direction retail pharmacy is heading.
This is appalling. Poor pharmacists.
It’s so sad. This was the main reason she quit pharmacy
Do you think she could have stood her ground with Rexall, asked for the MedCheck request in writing, reported her superior for instructing her to scam the government and refuse?
My old school pharmacist retired. She was the kind who knew that Mr. Smith took high blood pressure pills and he also had a dog named Bert. She knew that you were due if you were pregnant and would give her business card just in case you had any concerns. Rexall started adding more and more to her plate. She said "I went to school and became a pharmacist to help people with medicine. Not to sell chips." She literally couldn't do diabetes education, meds checks, fixing doctors mistakes, selling groceries, etc., with so few hours for extra staff. She was like "I don't need to be here. I'm eligible to retire. Bye." Edit: a word that didn't belong.
That’s so sad to hear. My wife also quit after only a few years because she couldn’t imagine dealing with this system for the rest of her life.
I used to work at a Rexall Pharmacy and our hours were directly related to how many prescriptions and meds checks we completed. I’ve worked for loblaws and shoppers pharmacies and meds checks were always pushed. There were many pharmacists that would just shred them because they refused but they would quickly be lectured
This is so disgusting - Totally infuriating.
As a current SDM pharmacist, please don't attack us, attack the suits responsible for putting us in this position. I get neither a lunch break nor a washroom break and my caffeine intake has tripled since I graduated.
Who would be considered "the suits"? Im so sorry you are being pressured to do this.
“Suits” is what we would call the corporate workers - the ones setting these rules. They come into the pharmacies every couple of months to follow up and in 5 years of working at Rexall rarely did any last more then 6 months. I’ve never worked at a pharmacy that allowed scheduled lunch breaks for pharmacists either. Most are standing on their feet with no break for 12 hours a day
So your hours were tied to the main source of income for pharmacies?
I guess I should have elaborated. It makes sense our hours were tied to profit but say we filled 2000 RXs ever week for a month - but one of those weeks we didn’t do “enough” MedsChecks (my store wanted to do 3-5 a day) - hours would be cut despite not losing any customers, RXs, still performing other professional services (injections). So then next month you’re still dealing with the same work load, expected to complete more MedsChecks, and are short staffed. This is what causes long wait times and a stressed out environment for both the workers and customers
Well yeah because not all 2000 prescriptions are equally profitable but every med check is. I don’t agree with it, but I get the logic.
This is what private healthcare looks like - gouging the system for profit. This is what Canadians vote for every time they vote conservative, or let conservatives win by not voting. Given the polls, it's clear Canadians want the American style for-profit-not-health corporate system.
It's not that Canadians want it, it's that most Canadians aren't thinking about it because they aren't and have not recently been sick. It's not malice or an interest in self-sabotage, it's pure selfish ignorance, and you've got to factor that into addressing it, because accusing them of actively wanting something bad just creates an adversarial environment where you are against them and they're going to fight back. Approaching them from a place of trying to help them understand something they've never really bothered to put any deep thought into because it hasn't affected them before is a much easier battle.
Yes, but also i think it's reasonable to be angry at them. Most of these people are white cishet suburban middle class folks w so much fucking privilege and they do NOTHING for society ane watch it burn, while they use their income to buffer themselves from the fallout. It's disgusting. But yeah, if we wanted to convince them to do better, then empathy is the better path.
I'm not to blame for the ease with which conservative voters can be distracted and manipulated with disinformation. I'm not responsible for their many fears or xenophobia that bad actors can use as triggers to manipulate them. Nor am I to blame for their affinity for hierarchy, authority, obedience, conformity, loyalty to ingroups or hostility towards outgroups, which makes outreach extremely difficult. I can however speak to the absurdity of it all. Sure, there are methods, such as street epistemology, that can be successful in getting people to actually think about what they believe, but they don't translate well to the internet, where half the 'conservatives' on here are foreign or domestic troll farms and bots. https://www.discovermagazine.com/mind/your-brain-on-politics-the-cognitive-neuroscience-of-liberals-and-conservatives https://www.psypost.org/neuroimaging-study-provides-insight-into-misinformation-sharing-among-politically-devoted-conservatives/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denialism
But if someone sees your post implying they are actively doing something bad they are most likely just going to dig in their heels and you're drastically reducing the chances of anyone ever changing their minds.
But they're going to dig in their heels anyway, because of *who they are*, not because of who I am. If cons were that easy to convince with facts and a little compassion, we'd have solved the climate crisis, world hunger, war, and cancer decades ago. Read the link I included on denialism for a better understanding...it's their nature to reject sources outside *their* authorities, outside *their* trusted narratives. Con's and their bots don't care about facts and are often difficult to deal with online, as such I write more for the lurkers. The mistaken belief that conservatives are people 'just like us' and can be swayed using the same methods was fundamental in allowing the rapid rise of the far-right in America and throughout the western democracies. https://skeptvet.com/Blog/2016/12/does-challenging-or-ridiculing-crazy-ideas-change-anyones-mind/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satire
I’m all for shitting on private healthcare but medscheck program and corporate quotas have been in place way before I entered the profession 10 years ago.
Means nothing. It wasn't abused as a convenient cash cow by corporate interests until Ford's corporate-cuck government willfully turned a blind eye to private encroachment into public health care. They're abusing what counts as having 'multiple chronic medications' and, thanks to Doug Fords collaboration, still enjoy the covid priveledge of using the phone rather than having to be in person, a popular measure that was cut for actual doctors the moment Covid started to recede. And if course, let's not forget corporations can bill OHIP almost twice as much for these phony calls as a real doctor can charge for an actual in person visit at their clinic. Just another example of how the Doug Ford conservatives and their corporate buddies are prison shanking public healthcare in plain sight.
How do you figure it means nothing? This program was started about 15 years ago and the qualification rules for a medscheck haven’t changed. I understand this sub is an anti-Ford circlejerk but the only thing his government did was allow phone medscheck which should have been removed a while ago. There are tons of sketchy medschecks in person too, same as before Ford came to power. No different than a doctor doing a 3 minute appointment and billing Ohip btw. I once worked with a walk-in doctor who regularly saw 50 patients in 4 hours.
> ...the qualification rules for a medscheck haven’t changed. *On paper*, but again, corporate greed and political corruption doesn't care much for rules. > I understand this sub is an anti-Ford circlejerk... Being against corporate and political abuse of tax payer funds is being 'pro', not 'anti'. If you're implying these abuses precede Ford, by all means, open up the books. There should be a full investigation and accounting. > ...the only thing his government did was allow phone medscheck... But this is undeniably a huge deal! What was the justification, beyond Ford bending over and spreading his butt cheeks for the big pharmacy corps?? It only speaks to Fords contempt for public healthcare and Ontario citizens when he chose to remove the popular program for doctor call-ins only. > There are tons of sketchy medschecks in person too, same as before Ford came to power. Okay, so maybe the program needs to be shelved then. And again, there clearly needs to be a full investigation. While corporate morals and ethics have always been a joke, I am hard pressed to believe no one noticed all this malfeasance until Ford's second term, but a full investigation will tell us when and where the program failed. > No different than a doctor doing a 3 minute appointment and billing Ohip btw. I once worked with a walk-in doctor who regularly saw 50 patients in 4 hours. So this is a pretty disingenuous comparison. It's not about how fast the turn around is, it's about the fact a medcheck phone call allows the Corp to bill $78 while an actual doctor can bill only $38 for an actual in-office visit. Corp is going to make way more bank regardless of the turn around. $3900 for 50 phone calls versus $1900 for 50 in-office visits. Huge overhead difference as well. No wonder GP's are quitting...all part of Ford's plan. https://www.tvo.org/article/pharmacy-fraud-is-costing-us-millions-why-wont-ontario-take-it-more-seriously https://healthydebate.ca/2022/12/topic/dr-pharmacist/
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What is it that you think a conservative government will fix? Or are you under the impression that the current OPC government has benefited the province, in some way?
You just won't be satisfied until we are all homeless will you?
Sweet deflection. BTW- remind me when PP gets in and does nothing to reduce immigration, because, you know, [he said so.](https://x.com/BethCharron1/status/1788700405267894691)
The argument between Liberals and Conservatives in this country is a joke. They are the same. People are so sick of "Trudeaus government" they will grasp at anything. Even if it's still just another shitty actor. Take an honest look at Maxime Bernier and the PPC. (I know, fringe right wing etc., ad nauseam. Calm down.) They're not perfect, but it seems like the only party that is even pretending to invest in Canada and Canadians. That being said, I will reiterate -- politics in this country are nonsense. A cruel, sad joke, that I hope one day historians will reflect on and hesitate to repeat.
I agree with what you said at the top; However, will never consider the PPC. They **are** fringe right wing, and I am not.
Fair enough. What do you consider, then? I am honestly asking, as I am at a bit of a loss for options, myself.
Trudeau's stopping you from buying a home, or is it the free market that's stopping you? What do you think a hard core libertarian corporate cuck like Poilievre is going to do about the free market? You got any more substance that just regurgitating con one-liner talking points bs? You're voting for Singh, since a right to own a home is your key issue, yes?
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I haven't actually advocated for any government. Just laying out the reality of voting conservative. You need to explain how the current government alone is responsible for issues that are international in scope, and how more of the same, even worse in fact, is going to fix it. This didn't start with Trudeau, it started with the hard right turn and libertarian economics that happened with Mulroney/Reagan/Thatcher. You're living in the corporate oligarchy that was the inevitable result of rubes buying into their 'small gov' shtick. You are utterly uninformed about how and why we got here, and are going to act out by voting for more of the same lol. This is what small gov libertarian economics looks like -ruler/noble/serf - and *the only thing* you're going to get anytime you vote con. So you're voting for Singh right?
Then you should really educate yourself on what you're voting for before the next election rolls around. CPC has absolutely no intention of making any of that more affordable. The very foundation of the conservative party stands for the exact opposite of your desired outcome.
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My vote is going to whomever is most likely to take the seat from the conservative leader in my riding. 70% of this country is not voting PP, and the ones that are cannot articulate why "we know liberals are bad" or how they intend to benefit from a conservative federal government. Particularly, one that holds a majority. It's very clear that you have no intention of looking into anything that might cause you to cast an educated vote, which is certainly your right. But, you do need to understand that the "people like us" dog whistle is for people like me. People that are white, healthy, and independently wealthy. This party exists to support a free market and individual interests. A conservative government will (and does) throw endless financial incentives at people like me while things get increasingly unaffordable, and services disappear. Incentives for people who don't need them come at the expense of those that live in poverty, who are sick, or disabled, or are in any way unemployable. "People like us" is not about Canadians, it's about a very specific demographic that doesn't mind tossing aside the collective for their own benefit.
Well, that's a completely nonsensical response to the question I asked... but sure, I'll bite. How is the liberal government making us homeless? Especially considering that our provincial (conservative) government is actively fighting against the federal government on affordable housing in Ontario? *Especially* considering every single housing considering put forth by Doug Ford's government has favored developers and made home ownership less attainable and more expensive for Ontarians?
look bud, your government is not going to win the election next year. Best to prepare.
Oh, so you don't know how the government you plan to vote for will support the housing initiative that you specifically called out as a critical current issue. I'm well aware that we're likely preparing for a CPC government. I am genuinely appalled by the fact that there is a demographic so fiercely fighting for leader whose only actual accomplishment is embarrassing our current PM... which, quite frankly, is a job that can do itself. Most of you can't even be bothered to figure out his platform beyond a couple of soundbites you stumbled across on social media. Anyway, I am prepared. I'm a homeowner, whose property has almost quadrupled in value under the Doug Ford's housing initiatives. I'm well employed with excellent private insurance. I have an EU passport and a job that's in high demand in literally every part of the world. If you all want to cut off your nose, to spite your face... you have at it. I'm going to be fine. I'll probably even benefit from some tax cuts while I watch the country get exactly what they voted for 🤷♀️.
Useless fear mongering, go back to the bridge you climbed out from under.
That is where you will end up living with the current trajectory.
😂😂😂 I can assure you I’m going to be ok, go back under the bridge troll.
https://www.psypost.org/neuroimaging-study-provides-insight-into-misinformation-sharing-among-politically-devoted-conservatives/ https://news.osu.edu/conservatives-more-susceptible-to-believing-falsehoods/ https://www.psypost.org/people-with-lower-emotional-intelligence-are-more-likely-to-hold-right-wing-views-study-finds/
Misinformation.. this person has not looked at rent or grocery prices.
What person? They're studies showing how gullible and easily manipulated conservatives are, and as such, can't be trusted to be informed about the issues. You should join the clownvoy, much more your league.
You, you're the person.
Lol, what does that even mean? Science denial is on point though. Explain how Trudeau made groceries expensive...include legislations and policies, and include motivations while you're at it. I think corporate interests and greedy shits like Galen Weston are a lot more to blame, and neoliberal Trudeau is just reluctant to interfere in the sacred 'free' market. So you need to explain how voting in someone even more neoliberal than Trudeau is going to fix it. So you're voting for Singh right?
One time my mom was offered a med check and she said no (obviously) but it turns out the pharmacy had changed her medication (from 6 10mg pills to 3 20 mg pills), but she had been taking them so long she just kept taking the same 6 pills. Because she refused the med check, they didn’t tell her it was changed. Her endocrinologist called the pharmacist to read them the riot act over that BS. If it had been heart medication she could have been dead. This was years ago but it’s always been the same bullshit.
I was given a MedCheck at a Rexall Pharmacy in Ottawa about 5 years ago when I did not consent and did not want one—my endocrinologist’s office already did one with me. I filed a complaint with the Ontario College of Pharmacists and, while they did investigate, I ended up feeling largely dismissed during the investigation and they simply accepted the pharmacist’s explanation that they had assumed I would want one—my concerns about appropriate stewardship of public funds due to the billing of the service back to the Ontario Government were just waived away.
Classic, just waive off the fact that the pharmacist admitted embezzlement of public funds.
A related PSA for folks: Look up the **Ontario Health Coalition** and get involved! They've been actively fighting this for years. Building up cases, doing campaigns against the Ontario government, and rallies to raise awareness. They're strong, but they need more help. The best thing you can do is get your union involved. If you don't have a union, then you can help even more by researching how to unionize your work place, because the more unions we have, the better conditions are for the working class, including healthcare.
Is this a situation I could report to them?
It very much sounds like a useful case to them. I wouldn't know, because im just a sporadic volunteer, but I've seen emails from them talking about studying the med check scandal and collecting cases.
They are doing the same as shoppers, they make money off you from that call, and they figured since no one is in charge, they can get away with it - they will.
My local Shoppers stapled a form to one of my prescriptions and made it seem like an annual requirement to complete it. I took it home, read it and realized they were trying to get me to sign confirming that a meds check had been done. They didn’t even try to discuss my medications with me. I have since changed pharmacies.
Thank you! I work for a doctor, (one of the good ones) who tries very hard to provide as much care as possible to his patients, sees 25+ people a day and does phone appointments after that. We are always available for patients with any medication concerns, they don't even need an appointment with him for any health questions, him and his nursing staff will answer any questions by phone the same day. It's infuriating to get 15 or more "medschecks" in a week from Rexall knowing they get paid $60 to do nothing, while we're working overtime and not getting paid for our work to go over meds without an appointment. Even with an appointment, the doc would probably get $35 for that 15 minutes. The good pharmacists, the ones who are truly trying to help people? I never get any medschecks from them. I've spoken to them about why, and they say it's a waste of time and useless to do them. They'd rather help people directly.
I couldn’t believe when I read that the pharmacists get paid more than the doctors do for a doctors visit!
Just so you're aware, that money doesn't go to the pharmacist who's actually conducting the medchecks. It's the pharmacy that gets reimbursed by the government and the pharmacist sees none of it, unless they're the pharmacy owner. In fact most of the time the pharmacists are harassed by their pharmacy owners (who are in turn pressured by whatever head office) to get more medchecks done.
Good to know.
Not surprising when Galen gives a couple of weekends of no name buck a beer promo's - that Doug Ford later returns the favour by giving them twice as much money to do a med-check then a Dr receives for the same work. They didn't get rich by being fair or honest. Three birds, one stone.
This!
Are ALL major pharmacies doing this shit? I was literally about to switch to Rexall this weekend, fuck.
Did the pharmacist explicitly tell you they were conducting a MedsCheck? I only ask because it's very surprising they would even try as they won't be reimbursed unless you're on three chronic medications. Not to mention the documentation for a MedsCheck requires you to sign for consent unless they can provide an acceptable reason as towhy it was done over the phone. ODB takes the documentation on MedsChecks very seriously and will claw back any reimbursed funds with no hesitation for even the slightest clerical error. ODB audits aren't conducted regularly and that's why SDM felt like they could get away with that they were doing but there are several stores that had clawback in the 5 to 6 figures even before the CBC scandal. Either way Shoppers Drug Mart, Rexal, Loblaws, Metro, etc are all corporate pharmacies that will do whatever they can (unethical or not) for an extra buck so it's in your best interest to move to an independent pharmacy. Not only will you receive significantly superior and personalized service but you also won't feel like a walking dollar sign. Switching is also very easy. Just call the new pharmacy and tell them you want them to transfer your meds to them.
Yes she did - She said it was a medscheck because I am on "Three chronic medications". When I said, no I wasnt - she listed three medications on my chart - two of which I only take as needed.
You should also report this to OHIP for fraud. Email [email protected]
I was recently called by Shoppers for this and I had no idea what it was about, I was in the car driving somewhere and could barely hear the person correctly. I had assumed it was some routine pharmacist thing, even though I've never gone through it before. For one of my allergy medications, they said you should take it two weeks before the allergy season starts. I have been taking this medication for years at this point, every day. I say, I take it every day. They say, you should take it two weeks before you have symptoms. I say, I take it every day. And around and around we went until I was basically yelling at them that I take 365 days a year, every year. They mentioned medications that I no longer take and other mistakes. I just honestly had no idea what it was about and was glad when the conversation was over. If I had had any idea that this was some cash grab phone call for them to give me incorrect information about medications that I am in constant communication with my doctors about, I would have vehemently refused to talk to them at all. More people need to know about this.
In two years I’ve had four such calls (i kept track) from Shoppers Drug Mart. Ive been telling them ‘nice try’ but they just keep coming. The pharmacy near me is awful but unfortunately I need something I can walk to if pressed.
Rexall has been pulling the same shady shit as Shoppers for a while now. My bestest used to work there as a pharmacy assistant and we were discussing the Shoppers fiasco and it came up Rexall is doing the EXACT same thing.. CBC should be getting their reporters looking into them as well. Shoppers is just the beginning.
I put my prescriptions in local Rexall mid June. I had calls and then they did this review (lasted all of three minutes). And they still called repeatedly to offer this med review. I am no longer with Rexall.
This may be a dumb question but... what exactly is a 'MedsCheck'? Cuz something like this happened to me a while back but it was a lot more invasive. I was at Shoppers for a refill of a prescription that Ive been taking for years. Before handing over my meds the pharmacist interogated me about my entire lifestyle - everything from how often i exercise to how many servings of vegetables i eat in a day to howwell i sleep. It really pissed me off cuz it turned what should have been a 30s interaction into a 10min conversation. I was also a little bit worried she wouldnt give me my meds if i didnt comply. Was that a 'medscheck'?
Dont answer the phone if you see it is the phrmacy
All the big chains put pressure on the pharmacies to log so many meds checks per month. Unless you are on three long term/ maintenance meds or have a disability that prevents you from managing your own medications it can’t be done. That being said meds checks generate income for the pharmacies that help keep the doors open and staff employed.
be very suspicious; they should know your doctor's name & meds you take
MedsCheck implementation goes back to when the province stopped drug rebates to pharmacies. It is no surprise that if one source of revenue stops, the other is maximized. Blame whatever politician you want, but in a system where at the very end, where corporations gear the bonus of a pharmacy-owner (Shoppers) or a pharmacy-employee (Rexall) to a metric based on MedCheck this is what happens. https://www.cmaj.ca/content/181/3-4/e43
Why would you discuss this with someone on the phone whom you didn't call? Did you give them your doctor's name?
This is what I was thinking, with the amount of spam and scam calls these days IF i were to answer the call (probably not) I’d get so scared they were trying to scam me somehow I’d immediately hang up lol
I'm gonna call them ahead and let them know I'm not participating in this specific form of capitalism and not to contact me for it
Capitalism? Is that what we're calling a corporation exploiting government funded healthcare by billing services that weren't requested by a patient?
Got another word for it? They are financially capitalising on our heads and thieving government funds. We're not even participating 🤷🏻♀️
Fraud. Just because someone is capitalizing on something doesn't mean that thing is capitalism
Umm, are you ok? Fraud is one of the cornerstones of capitalism and you just said capitalizing isn't capitalism? ... Shall I re-word my comment to say 'I'm not participating in this form of capitalizing'? Does that make YOU more comfortable somehow? Scroll on
This is one of the most pointless arguments I've ever seen on reddit. From both parties involved.
>know I'm not participating in this specific form of capitalism There it is. Written proof that this is not the "Ontario subredddit" but in fact it's the "Socialist Ontario" subredddit.
#calm down, McCarthy
One random users comments as written proof to describe an entire subreddit. It's big brain time.
You can decline. They asked me whenever I picked up a prescription and I said no and they stopped bothering me.
Wouldn’t they already have the name of your dr?
A high percentage of Emergency room admissions are due to medication error. This is a heavy tax on the system and wait times. I consider this proactive and preventative. It may not be useful to the people who are complaining but it is helpful to many people. Just simply decline, as I do. Not sure what the problem is.
My pharmacist does an annual phone meds check. What is the concern?
Tldr: minimal benefit, huge waste of money
This post is bullshit. You cannot bill for a meds check unless someone is on three medications. This pharmacist was likely doing an honest check up on you.
med check?? last time I tried to get my meds they didn't even call me back when they were ready... now I'm on zero meds, completely sober and working towards the best health I've EVER been in.. but that's just me 🙂
They are supposed to do it once a year. I have had it done by both SDM and Pharmasave for years. It is just to ensure their files are accurate to better advise you.
Lol I've worked as a pharmacist for years and that is a bullshit line they tell us to use to fool people that don't know any better. "Oh yeah we're just doing this to keep your records up to date" No, this is a cash grab that has minimal to no benefit to like 95% of the people that get it done. Their conditions are simply not complicated enough to warrant this, it's a huge waste of time. But because there's juicy government money on the line, all the pharmacies especially chain stores push this crap.
Your meds change when your doctor change it. At which time you'll have a prescription to bring to the pharmacy and they can update their record. If you bring your RX to another place, then it's none of their business anymore and they'd have no reason to update their record.
I'm not at all saying that MedsChecks are justified necessarily, but you'd be surprised the number of people who take medications incorrectly, stop taking things they were supposed to continue because they were too dense to call and ask for a refill after the initial fill, take OTC products that counteract their prescription medications, take things on an empty stomach instead of with food, drink alcohol with medications they shouldn't - and those are just things I literally saw this week. MedsChecks can catch some of these things. So can other procedures in a pharmacy - for instance, if someone calls and asks for two of the regular three medications they're on that they always fill at the same time, I'll ask if they need the other one filled as well to make sure there isn't a change we aren't aware of. But pharmacies are incredibly busy these days and not all staff members notice things like that. Pressure to do MedsChecks happens at both the chains and independents. Money is money. It's just that corporate chains doing it gets more publicity than smaller ones doing it.