A majority of pharmacists would drop PrescribeIT if 20-cent fee is introduced: CPhA survey

A majority of pharmacists using PrescribeIT say they would stop using the service if the proposed 20-cent transaction fee is introduced, according to a survey from the Canadian Pharmacists Association (CPhA).Last month, Canada Health Infoway, the non-profit behind the PrescribeIT e-prescribing service, informed pharmacists’ groups that it intends a 20-cent transaction fee for pharmacists effective January 2025 for new and renewal electronic prescriptions.Joelle Walker, the CPhA’s vice-president of public and professional affairs, told Pharmacy Practice + Business that when the announcement was made the association sought to articulate its impact on pharmacies and say some "compelling results" when it surveyed pharmacy owners and managers. According to the CPhA’s online survey, 65% of respondents said they would stop using the service if the fee is introduced. In addition, 4% said they would continue to use it, while 24% said they were unsure.More than 1,300 pharmacists filled out the survey, and Walker says most of the pharmacists responded were owners of banners and independents.“I think that makes a lot of sense, because, if you're thinking about corporate organizations, they make decisions at the corporate level, so [pharmacists at corporate-owned pharmacies] might not have responded to such a survey,” she added.Infoway has defended the fee, calling it “nominal” and necessary to “maintain the long-term efficiency and security” of the service. Meanwhile, pharmacists’ groups say the cost shouldn’t solely be on pharmacists to take on.“Certainly, 20 cents may seem nominal, but pharmacists are not really able to pass on that additional cost to their patients, and probably wouldn't want to either,” Walker said. “This is 20 cents, but it's in addition to all of the other operational costs that they have to take on to sustain their pharmacies. So, the cost is not minimal.”

A majority of pharmacists would drop PrescribeIT if 20-cent fee is introduced: CPhA survey

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