The Supreme Court of Canada has dismissed Sobeys’ appeal to challenge the College of Pharmacists of BC’s bylaws prohibiting incentives for prescriptions and pharmacy services.
This turn of events means that pharmacies cannot offer incentives for prescription medication or pharmacy services, which has been true since January 2016.
The College bylaws originally came into force in December 2013 and were successfully challenged by Sobeys in the BC Supreme Court in July 2014. The College then filed with the BC Court of Appeal, and in January 2016, had the situation overturned. Finally, on March 24, 2016, Sobeys submitted a file to appeal with the Supreme Court of Canada, but that request has been dismissed with costs.
“The College considers the provision of incentives like redeemable points to be unethical, unsafe and unprofessional,” says College Registrar Bob Nakagawa. “Pharmacists are medication experts, and sometimes the right thing for them to do is not dispense a drug. A patient’s motivation to collect redeemable points may inappropriately encourage drug use and can put their health at risk.”
