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January 9, 2002
Despite improvements to the Provincial Collective Agreement, changes to Pharmacare mean members will pay more for some prescription drugs
As a result of negotiations, improvements to the Extended Health Plan for prescription drugs were implemented July 1, 2001. These improvements mean that more prescriptions drugs are covered by Pacific Blue Cross. Under the old language, drugs that were not covered by Pharmacare were not reimbursed by Pacific Blue Cross. Under the new language, drugs that are not covered by Pharmacare are covered by Pacific Blue Cross.
However, the recent expansion of Pharmacare’s Low Cost Alternative (LCA) or Reference Drug Program (RDP) means some drugs which were previously fully covered by Pacific Blue Cross, will only be reimbursed to the level of the equivalent LCA or RDP drug.
In order to be reimbursed for a higher cost drug, your physician must obtain Special Authority from Pharmacare.
In order to be sure of the amount of reimbursement by Pacific Blue Cross, please speak with your pharmacist before filling your prescription. You will not be given special authority for a prescription retroactively.
For more information about Pharmacare’s programs, visit their web site at http://www.hlth.gov.bc.ca/pharme/index.html.
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