We live in a country that takes pride and are privileged to have a healthcare system that provides access to medical care, While no one wants to be sick, as humans it's all part of life. Therefore, access to necessary medications should be fair, affordable, and transparent. However, many Canadians are facing an unfair burden due to excessive and inconsistent pharmacy dispensing fees.

The Issue:
When filling prescriptions at pharmacies patients are being charged a dispensing fee for every individual medication— even when multiple prescriptions are picked up at the same time. This practice has lead to higher costs for patients, especially when the dispensing fee exceeds the cost of the medication itself which has disproportionately impact those requiring multiple medications.

For example, despite being privileged by our healthcare, we are being slapped with a $12.99 dispensing fee for each medication (referencing Shoppers Drug Mart). To my utter disbelief, one of the two prescriptions only cost $4.31. It is outrageous to comprehend that we are being charged fees that are effectively 300% more than the cost of the medicine itself.

According to the Canadian Pharmacists Association, approximately 50% of Canadians take at least one prescription medication every year. This indicates that millions of citizens potentially face these assertive fees. This practice unfairly inflates healthcare costs for Canadians, particularly seniors, those with chronic conditions, and lower-income individuals who rely on multiple medications or those who don’t have the privilege of an insurance plan that may cover some of the cost. While dispensing fees are standard practice across all pharmacies in Canada (covering the costs associated with preparing and providing prescription medications), these fees vary significantly between pharmacies. 

Our Demand:
We, urge the Government of Canada, provincial health ministries, and relevant regulatory bodies to:

• Review and regulate pharmacy dispensing fees to ensure they are reasonable and justified.
  Cap or reduce multiple dispensing fees when prescriptions are picked up together.
• Increase transparency by requiring pharmacies to clearly explain and justify their dispensing fees.
• This will help to maintain financial accessibility of healthcare for everyone, not just the select few.

While dispensing fees are a common and necessary aspect of pharmacy services in Canada, the amount charged varies by pharmacy. Canadians should not be penalized for needing multiple medications. It’s time to push for a fair, transparent, and reasonable system that puts patients first.

Please sign this petition to call for meaningful action and to advocate for affordability and fairness in our healthcare system for all Canadians.