PHARMACISTS PETITION FOR FAIR PAY

To the Honorable Premier of Ontario Mr. Doug Ford

            Pharmacies in Ontario are funded largely by Ontario Drug Benefit. Pharmacists have been up to the challenge during the pandemic doing above and beyond their normal. The government saves on budget by adding new duties to pharmacists without a fair compensation structure. We are struggling with inflation, and we are required to do more duties while we are forced to increase our staff pay during those unprecedented times. We the hardworking noble pharmacists of Ontario are looking for proper compensation for our services whether offered for ODB or Non-ODB recipients:

What we think is fair and reasonable is getting paid:

1) Extending Prescription $15 

2) Expanded scope activities $30

3) Vaccinations $25

4) Faxing for a refill $5

5) ODB Dispensing fees up by $2-3 based on zone

6) Brand upcharge to be paid based on the best available wholesale price and not on the manufacturer's price.

            During the last two years, we have proven ourselves to be resourceful, accessible, and reliable healthcare providers. Our stores became a valuable tool in defeating the pandemic and implementing government policies. We saved the government a huge amount of funds that would have been towards infrastructure and personnel, we took most of the work in testing and vaccination of government hands and supplied it for cheap.

            On May 10, 2022, I had a successful meeting with Mr. Justin Bates and Ms. Jen Blecher of the Ontario Pharmacists Association. The meeting concludes that similar requests were done and no weak response was offered by the government in contradiction to what the government constantly states about pharmacists’ role and how they are valued in the healthcare system.

            The above-suggested values are guided by other provinces like BC and are negotiable within reasonable limits but not mandatory to either party. We have been offering services for free or at a reduced rate for too long. We offer unique knowledge, accessibility, and trusted Healthcare to all Ontarians.

Comments from my colleagues

We give patients more time and more dedication and attention compared to all physicians!
Pharmacists have a significant impact on the quality of life of patients.

I am burned out

We noble pharmacists of Ontario have been & continued to be the front-line healthcare warriors throughout the pandemic and beyond. We courageously stepped in, offering our expanded scope of practice to ensure Ontario patients’ best interests. We were not well compensated for the risk we took, being the only health professionals open to face-to-face healthcare services, other than hospitals. We deserve fair compensation for our services whether offered for ODB or Non-ODB patients. We keep the dignity of our profession in our daily practice & we deserve the same in return

Pharmacist starts with the same pay and retires with the same pay. No recognition. If any budget cuts, let's see where we can cut from Pharmacy.

We are overwhelmed and overworked!

What we have now is 2 tier healthcare that is totally in contradiction with the principles of the Health Act. Many patients who don’t have GPs, or whose GPs work reduced hours, come to me for immunizations, faxing their doctor, and prescription extensions. They pay so they don’t have to wait at the ER. If they can’t pay, I often do it for free but since COVID the demand is unmanageable. It’s time to call this what it is and make our services a recognized part of the health care system.

All pharmacists who have been providing all these extra free services for years and should have been paid, deserve payment fairly and need to voice out

I am a pharmacist, and we deserve our services to be acknowledged and paid properly if we are accountable then we deserve to be paid like other health professionals through billing numbers as well

Pharmacy owners are medical professionals and business directors, both can not be separated and because of this unique stature, they are over-regulated and scrutinized by any government department.
Fair compensation and recognition will save any government millions of dollars

Our valuable service and contribution to the healthcare system are not being recognized by the government nor being fairly reimbursed compared to other healthcare professionals

Long time frustrated Pharmacist

Pharmacists have been offering lots of underpaid services and even often for free unlike any other health professionals in this province. it is time to be compensated properly.

We are healthcare professionals, but we can’t pay our bills because of the way we are compensated for our services. We stayed open and helped our patients during the pandemic while doctors hid in their homes. We deserve to be appreciated with fair compensation for the work we do.

Reasonable and fair compensation as only pharmacist always challenged directly in person by many patient's when compared to any healthcare professional...

Pharmacists are underestimated when it comes to working burden Vs Pay.

Pharmacists were on the front line of patient care for so long and are highly underpaid for all that we do. It’s about time to change this and time to accept and understand the huge responsibility that we carry without enough recognition and remuneration.

We need to add 30mins break to the list, we are the only profession that forces their member to work 8 hours continuously with no break and they ask us to be mentally focused for mistakes with no break like we are no human.

Pharmacists do more and more for patients' interests yet they are underpaid big time so they are burning out while the cost of living has increased due to inflation, and everyone is getting some sort of pay increase except the pharmacies and pharmacists. Hence as we live in a wonderful country that cherishes the person well being, it is highly appreciated if the government takes the initiative of raising the reimbursements of pharmacists, or soon they will have no pharmacists and plunge the healthcare system more and more similar to the shortages of nurses and physicians.

The cost has gone up for everything but not pharmacist pay, and pharmacist is providing service to society and not properly paid will cause problems

 

Unfortunately, pharmacists in Canada lack basic human rights being exempted from rest periods, and overtime pay, and not allowed to have a union like doctors and nurses. This is unacceptable discrimination, and the Minister of Labor should be ashamed of this discrimination...

The pay in comparison to liabilities and work on the pharmacist's shoulders is really under

Because we ate working above and beyond our normal in a very stressful situation.

I am an underpaid pharmacist

This is another responsibility we will carry we don’t mind but think about it dispensing prescriptions, injections, vaccines, lab report interpretation may come soon I think Governments should step forward and pay pharmacists different slab of pay with their unique billing number

The cost of living is increased tremendously, but not the dispensing fees being paid by ODB

I need you to pay to recognize how important Lahaina it’s in our health care system. And the pay is according
To the work we do.

We go above and beyond without any compensation

BUT pharmacies and pharmacists make millions a year and you pay all the staff in your Shoppers Drug Mart minimum wage it's been like this for decades while you make a huge salary! Maybe it's time to rethink this and pay all staff a few more dollars an hour. Minimum wage people work very hard and never get raises!

 

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