Quebec pharmacists will be required to provide a more detailed invoice

Further to the passage into law of Bill 92¹, a new section of the act will come into effect on September 15, 2017. This section will enable members of private group insurance plans residing in Quebec to obtain a more detailed invoice when buying prescription drugs, a similar practice to what is already in place in the other provinces. On the invoices they provide, Quebec pharmacists will have to show, on three separate lines:

1. The price of the drug
2. The wholesaler profit margin
3. The pharmacist’s fees (professional fees and other applicable fees for each service provided)

The increase in the cost of prescription drugs is a critical issue for private group insurance plans, whose expenses have increased exponentially over the last years. Therefore, the main purpose of this new detailed invoice is to provide increased transparency with respect to the price paid and to raise consumer awareness about potential savings. Because the price can vary considerably between pharmacies, an educated choice has the potential to not only help your employees save money, but help your plan save money as well. 

In Quebec, the law provides that consumers have the complete freedom to choose their healthcare provider and it will remain that way moving forward. Therefore, this new invoice does not provide plan administrators and insurers with new drug cost control measures involving pharmacies. Employee education and awareness initiatives will remain the preferred strategy to encourage economic choices when buying prescription drugs and iA Financial Group (Industrial Alliance Insurance and Financial Services Inc.) is committed to working with you towards that goal. More information to come in August.

We also wish to remind you that your employees can use our WebRx tool to locate the pharmacies that sell their prescription drugs, and easily contact them to inquire about their prices. WebRx is available in My Client Space and on the iA Mobile app.
If you have any questions, please contact your advisor or your iA Financial Group Account Executive.

Note: This communiqué presents the situation as we currently know it. Changes may occur before or after the expected in-force date of the new invoice.

¹ An Act to extend the powers of the Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec, regulate commercial practices relating to prescription drugs and protect access to voluntary termination of pregnancy services (modified title).