Pharmacists who were condemned by their professional order for having “obtained” clients from specialty drug programs financed by pharmaceutical giants recently created a group to promote their “special know-how” in the drug sector. specialty, noted The duty.
A new company was discreetly registered in September in the Quebec business register: the Regroupement des Pharmacistes Spécialés du Québec (RPSQ). This non-profit organization aims to “promote specialized practices in order to optimize access to treatment and pharmaceutical care adapted to the needs of patients undergoing complex therapy”.
The pharmacists who sit on the board of directors declined interview requests from the Duty. By email, the RPSQ explained that the pharmacies it represents work in specialty drugs – expensive molecules treating complex diseases – and that as a result they have developed “particular know-how”.
“They offer personalized support aimed at helping patients access appropriate financial coverage, training for the administration of treatments and proactive pharmaceutical monitoring,” supports the RPSQ, deeming it useful to come together to publicize their practices and realities. with the Quebec government and the industry.
However, the pharmacists behind the approach are well known to the Order of Pharmacists of Quebec (OPQ). Four of the five administrators — Michael Assaraf, Martin Gilbert, Christine Larivière, Daniel Vermette — have been condemned by their professional order over the last three years for acts “derogatory to the dignity of the profession”. These obtained patients from patient support programs (PSP), according to the judgments of the OPQ.
A PSP is a turnkey program, funded by pharmaceutical industry giants. It operates outside of public health networks and offers a support service for patients throughout their therapy. Since pharmacists set their fees, in part, based on the cost of medications — about 10% of the price — a PSP’s clientele turns out to be lucrative. The annual cost of specialty drugs generally exceeds $10,000 per patient.
The president of the Quebec Association of Pharmacist Owners (AQPP), Benoît Morin, was not aware of the creation of this group. He is not surprised by the initiative to the extent that “their business model is undermined” by recent judgments from the Order of Pharmacists of Quebec.
In less than three years, eight pharmacists have been condemned by their professional order for having obtained clients participating in patient support programs (PSP), revealed an investigation by the Duty last May.
Benoît Morin points out that in addition to ethical questions, the business model of these pharmacies slows down the democratization of access to specialty medications and complex medications: “This reinforces the idea that these medications must be served by individual pharmacies while community pharmacies can do so. »
“At some point, will a patient who has 18 specialty products have to deal with 18 pharmacies? Is this the solution? Of course not! It doesn’t make sense,” he says.