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The Ontario Pharmacists' Association (OPA) represents the views and interests of more than 11,000 pharmacists and pharmacists-in-training across the province. We work to inspire excellence in the profession and practice of pharmacy, and to promote wellness for patients.
Our members work in community pharmacies, family health teams, long-term care facilities, hospitals, universities, business and government, and practice in more than 3,000 clinical settings.
Pharmacists are healthcare professionals with a unique expertise in medication management. They are responsible not only for the procurement and dispensing of medications, but also for their safe and effective use in the prevention of disease and the promotion of health and wellness.
In addition to advocating for pharmacists and their patients, OPA provides a wide range of innovative continuing education programs for pharmacists and other healthcare professionals. The Association owns and operates the Drug Information and Research Centre, Canada's leading provider of evidence-based drug information. Services include a call centre that responds to more than 70,000 drug inquiries each year, outsourced medication information services for pharmaceutical companies and other organizations, medical writing, and drug information publications.
Drug Pricing Inaccuracy Tracking Form
Since the July 20 implementation of the 25 and 50 per cent generic pricing rules for public and private claims, OPA has been receiving many calls and emails from pharmacists and technicians regarding price inaccuracies and discrepancies between what is available from the supplier (manufacturer or wholesaler) and what is reimbursed by payors. In order to develop a concise list of the drugs affected, OPA has been working with the Canadian Association of Chain Drug Stores (CACDS) to develop a tracking form that can be easily completed and faxed or emailed in for collation. The goal of this data collection is to determine the sources of these problems (payor, supplier, or software provider) and to resolve them as quickly as possible. While the use of this tracking form will be ongoing, it is very important that you send in your examples of drug price errors for both public and private claims as soon as they are discovered and as often as possible.
Pharmacists and technicians should forward their forms to OPA by fax at 416-441-0791 (preferable), or email. Please note that no provider information is being collected or shared, and all submitted data on drug pricing will be collated and addressed in aggregate form. While we expect duplication between pharmacies, we encourage all pharmacists and technicians to check with their store owners/managers to determine the best process to submit data that will eliminate duplication within your own pharmacy.
Online form
Fax form
"Costs to Deliver Pharmacy Professional Services to Residents of Ontario Long-Term Care Facilities" report
OPA and the Canadian Association of Chain Drug Stores (CACDS) have had a study completed to analyze the extra costs incurred by pharmacies to serve residents of the province's long-term care facilities, including nursing homes, homes for the aged and charitable homes. These costs are over-and-above routine dispensing costs and support the provision of complex services that are required under the operating standards of the homes. Read more in the members section of our website.