Business ProfileforExpress Scripts Canada

Express scripts Canada being unreasonable enforcing mandatory fees on small independent pharmacies to continue services that were previously done as a service for patients. “Pharmacies are submitting claims on behalf of ESC.” On November 30, 2023, Express Scripts Canada (ESC) announced it was planning to implement a new monthly service fee for pharmacies effective January 1, 2024. The new service fee is tiered based on total billable claims per billing cycle, with fees ranging from $25-$200/month. The change was initiated without any consultation process. It works out to cost us an extra $2 per prescription adjudicated... so if a patient has 2 plans that require ESI (or ESC) then it would cost out pharmacy $8 extra to adjudicate 2 prescriptions through their 2 plans... as a small independent pharmacy we either have to suck up these costs or try push them on patients and potentially lose our customers. This will not only impact the sustainability of small independent pharmacies but also patient care, as patients will again start shopping around to pharmacies that can afford not to pass on these fees, and potentially compromise their health care continuity in the process. The capped fees of $200 + GST might not hit bigger chain pharmacies as bad if they are adjudicating thousands of claims each month, but for smaller pharmacies it it a huge burden. By Express Scripts Canada imposing the non-negotiable fees on pharmacies, it promotes big business, including their own pharmacy business, which is neither ******* o reasonable. On the other hand, small independent pharmacies that offer better/closer patient-provider relationships will be forced to close. Again, this is going to affect patient care in a negative way, making it not only ********* from a business stand point but is further ********* as it impinges on the health care and basic rights of our patients and community for choice in their health care and reasonable costs for these services.