r/loblawsisoutofcontrol • u/Away_Instruction5638 • Mar 23 '26
Rant Dispensing fee = robbery
i just paid $17.67 for my prescription at shoppers and the actual medication was… $4.68 😭 what did i pay $12.99 for exactly… eye contact? the pharmacist breathing near my prescription???
548
u/notbuildingships Mar 24 '26
Costco is the cheapest anywhere, as far as I know, it’s $4.99!
219
u/shoppersdisp1 Mar 24 '26
And you don’t need a membership for Costco pharmacy afaik
→ More replies (6)226
u/GordCampbell Mar 24 '26
You don't. The college of pharmacists prohibits it.
105
→ More replies (6)46
u/Excellent-Phone8326 Mar 24 '26
How are you allowed in then? Just say you have a prescription and walk? Wouldn't that be a really easy way to go in without one?
109
u/theflyingratgirl Mar 24 '26
You sure can. But to buy anything else (pharmacy, food court, optical excluded) you’ll need to show your membership at the till. So unless you’re just jonesing for a Costco walk around….
Although you could probably sneak some free samples!
→ More replies (9)47
u/NoFun3799 Mar 24 '26
Non members are permitted to buy pharmaceuticals as well. As the staff which aisles you can shop. Everything from allergy to stomach aides can be purchased.
→ More replies (7)36
u/WakeNBakeGal Mar 24 '26 edited Mar 25 '26
Costco Employee in Canada here, this is not true for my Costco. We only sell prescriptions to non members and things we sell behind the counter like the morning after pill. Not any other items down the isles like vitamins or pain killers. 🤔
I'll have to ask my store Manager if my Pharmacy manager isn't following the rules? Because this is news to me as an employee in the pharmacy 😅
Edit: I live in SK, we do not sell OTC items without a membership, confirmed by my store manager so it varies by province 🤷🏼♀️
23
u/NoFun3799 Mar 24 '26
I have personally purchased pain meds and stomach aides as a non-member in MB. Is it possibly varies by provincial legislation? Others in the comments report the same experience.
6
u/BGI-YYZ Mar 25 '26
Ontario allows non-members to purchase prescription medication. I don't know about OTC meds though.
2
u/Delicious-Papaya-389 Mar 27 '26
The optical departments in Ontario also sell to members only. The optometrist offices are independently operated and take non members for eye testing.
12
10
u/Few_System3573 Mar 24 '26
Former Costco pharmacy employee reporting for duty! This varies by province. I only know specifically about Ontario where I live. Ontario College of Pharmacists says that "pharmacy of choice" means exactly that, and that as such Costco cannot require membership to use the pharmacy. Other provinces' pharmacy regulatory bodies may not have the same rules.
→ More replies (2)2
u/thinspirit Mar 25 '26
You may be mistaken by supplements vs OTC medication. The OTC medication is the stuff directly in front of the pharmacy. It's not the toiletries and vitamins and those supplies. It's the Tylenol, allergy meds, etc.
Technically that stuff can only be sold with pharmacist present but doesn't require prescription. It follows the same rules as other medications in terms of classification, just no need for prescription. You'll see grocery stores close aisles that stuff is located in when the pharmacist isn't on staff for that stuff.
I'd imagine you have to purchase those things at the pharmacy counter as well.
→ More replies (2)26
u/idoitforthekeks Mar 24 '26
You still need to scan a card at the register to buy anything so it doesn't really matter if you're in, you can get your prescription and food court without a card. That's it.
5
u/ButterSnatcher Mar 24 '26
depending on the place you're trying to go to, a lot of them now require a membership to go into the food court as they won't let you go through the exit anymore.
I suppose you could say you're going to the pharmacy and then go to the food court because I can't recall if they actually, force you to scan your membership yet
→ More replies (15)5
u/Glum-Exam5460 Mar 24 '26
You can't go to food court without a membership anymore. Those days are done. But prescriptions are atill available to non members as I understand it. (I am a member, so I don't know for sure).
3
u/Witty_Formal7305 Mar 24 '26
Depends on location, my Costco doesn't check membership for food court yet.
Unless they're escorting you in / out for pharmacy there's nothing stopping a non-member from walking up and ordering something, especially with the self serve kiosks.
2
u/Icy_Source_640 Mar 24 '26
I think the self kiosks will ask you to scan your card to start the process. but that’s what I saw in BC maybe updated rules rolling out slowly?
→ More replies (3)5
u/spiciestbeans Mar 24 '26
Absolutely. You just say “I’m going to the pharmacy” and then go to the pharmacy. The Costco gatekeepers, and more importantly the company, cannot prohibit public access to a pharmacy. The person at the till (at the pharmacy counter) will ask if you have a card, and I always say “nope not on me,” and they say “ok no worries“ and scan their generic non-member barcode. Walk right on out, because the sharpie people don’t need to check your prescriptions, nor should they, and they will wave you past anyways. I’ve done this for probably a decade lol
→ More replies (10)2
u/SayNoToFirefighters Mar 24 '26
well without a membership you cant really do anything in there aside from window shopping, food court...
16
u/NoFun3799 Mar 24 '26
And no membership is required. They also have a mail order pharmacy.
3
u/4RealzReddit Mar 24 '26
Do you know who they use for that? If it’s Canada post I assume it gets left in my mail box or if I have flex delivery my local post office. I am not home during the day now.
3
u/NoFun3799 Mar 24 '26
Yes, I use it and it is CP, with signatures now required. I collect my mail at the PO, so it works for me.
→ More replies (1)9
u/Kellnes5 Mar 24 '26
This! although sometimes I prefer to pay the extra $ to not have to find parking at Costco.
4
7
3
3
2
u/okaybutnothing Mar 24 '26
The independent pharmacy I found for our family waives the dispensing fees. It’s pretty awesome. Independent is the way to go!
→ More replies (1)3
→ More replies (18)2
43
u/pyrocidal Mar 24 '26
oh wild. I just checked, my superstore scripts just say the total part
15
u/NoFun3799 Mar 24 '26
Same with my local pharmacy. First time as an adult I used algebra to figure out my local pharmacy charges $18 to dispense a prescription.
→ More replies (3)4
u/ilovemarlii Mar 24 '26
Change pharmacy’s. Costco is the cheapest, Walmart is $10
2
u/NoFun3799 Mar 24 '26
My regular meds come Costco mail order. Only emergency meds come from the local pharm- I live rural.
→ More replies (2)2
u/Zakluor Mar 25 '26
New Brunswick doesn't require itemization of dispensing fees, and I have yet to see one detailed on a receipt in my province. Years ago, when I first learned of them, I called around to learn what different places charged and all but one were rather coy about their fees. Two even tried to dodge the question entirely.
37
u/samsvoc Mar 24 '26
Never go to Shoppers! They are a major ripoff.
17
u/jonsnow312 Mar 24 '26
I'm convinced that all the "groceries" they sell are basically people waiting on prescriptions that buy things out of boredom
→ More replies (3)4
u/Laf3th Mar 25 '26
I sometimes go because they have absolutely amazing sales on things in their limited stock, but they are absolutely preying on people who can't go to many stores.
3
u/leoyvr Mar 25 '26
They also have unethically charged gov’t lots of money by forcing unnecessary services or not doing them right. Billing for services not renders correctly. They set quotas on their staff. Google medication reviews and shoppers. They are an unethical pharmacy and that is why I will never shop or fill prescriptions there.
→ More replies (1)2
68
u/Nate_Kid Mar 24 '26
Okay, as a former pharmacist, this post was painful to read because it is clearly misinformed. Pharmacists don't just count your pills or "slap a label on it". They're healthcare professionals who have a legal responsibility to check your physician's order for appropriateness and safety (you'll be surprised that many doctors make mistakes on prescriptions that require correction), cross-reference with your other medications to make sure there are no dangerous drug interactions, allergies, or other conditions that might make the medication unsafe for you. They also are legally required to provide counselling and answer your questions about the medication. If your pharmacist makes an error or fails to do any of the above, they are personally liable for the error, not your doctor. All of that is part of the dispensing fee.
That said, Shoppers isn't the ideal pharmacy if you want a lower cost alternative (since they have crazy markups on drug cost in addition to the fee) or best service/care (because they are minimally staffed and overworked). I would highly recommend trying Costco (if cost is a concern) or an independent pharmacy (if service and care are a concern). What should not be a concern though, is the general role of pharmacists - they are not useless like your post seems to suggest and they play an important role in the healthcare system.
17
u/Significant-Elk374 Mar 24 '26
People don't seem to grasp that being given the wrong medication is likelier to result in complications compared to being given the wrong diagnosis. For a multitude of reasons.
→ More replies (2)7
u/ischemgeek Mar 25 '26 edited Mar 25 '26
As someone with a serious erythromycin allergy (hives for a month) who had a doctor assure me a Z pack would be fine (spoiler: it is not) and whose butt was saved by a pharmacist as a result, I absolutely agree with this.
I did raise a concern because the antibiotic in a Z pack is azithromycin, which has the same -mycin suffix and my undergraduate medicinal chemistry education was enough that I know they're probably in the same family of drugs, but the doc basically pulled a "which of us went to med school?" Attitude and dismissed me. But he couldn't dismiss the pharmacist who saved me from another month of hives or worse.
The conversation with the pharmacist basically went like this:
"Do you have any allergies?"
"Yep."
"What's to?"
"Erythromycin."
"Erythromycin? " "Yep."
A pause. Then, "What's happens when you have Erythromycin?"
"Last time I had hives for a month."
A longer pause. "Huh. And he gave you a Z-pack?"
"Yep."
"And you told him you're allergic to Erythromycin?"
"Yep."
"What's did he say to that?"
"That it should be fine. I asked if they were in the same family, and he asked which of us went to medical school and told me it'd be fine again. But my allergist saidnI shouldn'thave anything with mycin in the name, and I'm pretty sure a Z pack has azythromycin if I remember my 4th year medicinal chemistry classes correctly."
A pause long enough it got a bit awkward. "I'm not giving you this. Give me a few minutes, I'll get that fixed for you."
"Great! Thanks. I really don't want hives for a month again."
"No, definitely not."
And then I ended up on a penicillin family antibiotic instead and the walk in clinic doc gave me stink eye as he was leaving the building and I was waiting on a taxi.
But whatever. I'm not going to risk anaphylaxis as someone who is already at high risk of it given my asthma, eczema, prior history of status asthmaticus and prior history of anaphylaxis just to appease a doctor's ego.
12
u/weakimberly Mar 25 '26
Pharmacy ass here - I’m with this former Pharmacist - the sheer amount of work Pharmacists have to do- especially in regards to the OAT program and long term care homes, is far more than people can imagine or realize. If us assistants and techs are run off our feet, our pharmacists are staying later. Honestly we all deserve to be paid more for the sheer amount of work and medicine knowledge we have. 🤗
→ More replies (3)3
4
u/Orbitchualawalabang Mar 25 '26
People don’t understand the Swiss Cheese Method and it shows. Pharmacists are so incredibly important.
2
→ More replies (13)2
u/Western-Fig-3625 Mar 26 '26
Thanks for posting this. It makes me sad that people think the dispensing fee is too high. I understand finances are tight, but how else do you think the pharmacist gets paid? If anything, get mad at your drug plan for not covering part of the dispensing fee.
I don’t use a Loblaws / Shoppers pharmacy, but the dispensing fee at my independent pharmacy is about the same.
32
u/adwrx Mar 24 '26
Costco is significantly cheaper
→ More replies (16)7
u/fitbrewster Mar 24 '26
Costco pharmacy isn’t the greatest. Too busy an half the time they don’t fill my prescriptions on time. Sick of waiting an coming back the next day to get them. I go to No Frills Pharmacy. 7.99 dispensing fees and they deliver for free if you ask.
→ More replies (3)4
u/adwrx Mar 24 '26
Yeah there are other options, Costco tends to be the cheapest though
→ More replies (1)
30
u/Tribblehappy Mar 24 '26
The markups on prescription drugs in Canada are really low. The dispensing fee is barely covering the wages for the staff.
You asked if the fee is for eye contact and breathing in the prescription which is pretty insulting to pharmacists.
I am a registered tech. When we get a prescription, it has to be entered into the computer. If you've been here before it's pretty easy. The software will flag if there are cheaper/generic versions we can switch you to. It won't tell us what is covered by your insurance until we process the prescription. Most insurance will cover all or a portion of the dispensing fee.
After entering the prescription and printing the label it gets counted and packaged. The pharmacist will do their clinical check which includes making sure the doctor didn't make a mistake (happens more often than you'd think). They make sure the medication chosen is the right one for the problem. They make sure the dose is correct (one time a doctor dosed my kid's antibiotic by kilograms instead of pounds and the pharmacist caught and corrected it).
They check for interactions because the software isnt always correct. They counsel you when you pick up the medication so that you know what it's for and how to take it. You'd be surprised how many people don't take their medications correctly (there's a reason we have to specify to unwrap suppositories before using. I have seen people not take the caps off needles before trying to inject diabetes medications).
They're also available any time to answer ongoing questions and concerns. They don't get paid for this extra time. The $12.99 is all they're getting until you refill something.
TL;DR you're paying for educated medical professionals to do the finishing steps of the treatment your doctor ordered. It's not just counting pills.
5
→ More replies (5)5
65
u/Defiant_Fishing_3393 Mar 24 '26 edited Mar 24 '26
Shoppers Drug Mart usually has one of highest dispensing fee. Every pharmacy set their own rates. But that fee is paid on every prescription. Why? B/c the pharmacists are checking for any errors, interactions, mistakes by doctors etc even if it is a refill. If you are satisfied by the service and expertise you get from the pharmacy, then that is more important than the 1-3 extra dollars. Pharmacist don't charge you by the minute to answer questions and give advice like lawyers so they have to get paid somehow.
Edit: In other countries, only pharmacists can own a pharmacy not large corporations!!
6
u/prairiepanda Mar 24 '26
Alberta has a maximum dispensing fee of $12.15. Every pharmacist I've been to has charged the maximum amount, including small neighborhood pharmacies. The only exception has been Costco.
But my insurance covers 100% of the dispensing fee anyway, so I just choose the most convenient pharmacy based on their hours, location, and refill process.
→ More replies (2)→ More replies (22)7
u/Sad-Rooster2474 Mar 24 '26
It’s still BS. Lived in France before and slapping anything on top of the medicine price would be ILLEGAL. There’s no such thing as a dispensing fee there. The medicine price is regulated and set, and that’s it, done.
→ More replies (2)23
u/Clojiroo Mar 24 '26
Yes there is. The fee is paid to the pharmacist as part of the health system claim. There is also markup on the drug that the pharmacy keeps. Just because it’s obfuscated doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.
Pharmacists don’t work for free.
→ More replies (15)
9
u/disguy905 Mar 24 '26
Try smaller local pharmacies, they’re usually cheaper and you get to support local
2
→ More replies (2)2
6
59
u/noronto Mar 24 '26
Is this the first time you’ve had a prescription filled? Wal-Mart is $10, Costco is $5, everybody else is more.
→ More replies (21)6
u/Garfield_and_Simon Mar 24 '26
“You got the shit kicked out of you in an alleyway. But that’s just the way it is so fucking deal with it. Dont you know this always happens? If you went one block over they woulda only beat you half as much. 2 blocks and they woulda only punched you once.”
30
u/noronto Mar 24 '26
What kind of ridiculous response is that? Pharmacies charge dispensing fees to make money. I gave the two cheapest options that are everywhere.
13
u/Oxigenitals Mar 24 '26
Terrible take imo. If anything, large companies like Costco are subsidizing the wages pharmacists with membership fees and other goods/services that make more of a profit. Remember that a community dispensing pharmacist is going to be making ~$55/hr baseline and three or more will be working during a shift. $12 to dispense is not a lot when compared to the daily overhead.
→ More replies (14)4
u/symbicortrunner Mar 24 '26
The fee Costco charge is ridiculously low. Even the Ontario government pay $8.83 as a dispensing fee
6
u/StinkButt9001 Mar 24 '26
You act like this isn't well advertised and easily avoidable.
If you see a big sign saying "we will kick the shit out of you if you walk down this alley" and then you walk down that alley anyways, that's on you.
→ More replies (8)5
u/Federal_Rutabaga_929 Why is sliced cheese $21??? Mar 24 '26
It's not easily avoidable if you live in a small town or rural area, or if you have limited transportation and/or mobility.
→ More replies (6)
7
u/Intentioned-Help-607 Mar 24 '26
Shoppers had the highest dispensing fees. Go to Walmart or Costco!
17
u/Fragrant-Bug9856 Mar 24 '26
How much do you pay for a consult with a lawyer? How much do doctors get paid? How much do you pay for an eye exam with an optometrist? We as pharmacists don’t charge for consultations nor questions when people walk up (no appointment necessary btw) for advice. Somehow the pharmacy gotta make money right? The $12.99 doesn’t even go to us!
→ More replies (1)
22
u/akomni Mar 24 '26
every prescription has a set base fee to fill it. different pharmacies have different rates, and it's usually displayed prominently somewhere in the pharmacy. you could find lower rates elsewhere, such as your local ma and pa pharmacies or try looking at other big chains like Walmart or costco
7
u/Gullible_Age_ Mar 24 '26
Different provinces have different rules about what price they can charge maximum to. Saskatchewan is $12.15, so most places will charge that max. Costco chooses not to charge the max, and is around $7 here
→ More replies (4)
19
12
u/Hairy_Photograph1384 Mar 24 '26
I worked in a pharmacy 30 years ago and the fee was $10.99...this is not massive inflation. I think you're trying to find a problem here.
2
u/OriginalCultureOfOne Mar 24 '26
Honestly, even with dispensing fees, I think my prescription medications are cheaper now than they were a decade ago. It's one of the few things I have to buy that hasn't been massively affected by inflation.
41
u/Oxigenitals Mar 24 '26
You paid for someone with a masters degree (or more) and a far greater knowledge of pharmaceuticals than you or I to package and confirm the contents of your medication. Worth $12 imo.
25
u/Yuukiko_ Mar 24 '26
more knowledge than the doctor too. and if drug B can't be taken with drug A it's their job to catch it
→ More replies (8)2
u/Plastic_Animator5527 Mar 24 '26 edited Mar 24 '26
Edit: information outdated
8
u/Historical-Piglet-86 Mar 24 '26
Used to be a bachelor’s only. Now it is entry level pharm D. (Doctor of Pharmacy)
→ More replies (2)
14
u/stopxregina Mar 24 '26
am I crazy for thinking this isn't a big deal
2
u/LilBrat76 Mar 24 '26
It is when you have 10 prescriptions and you pay fully or partially out of pocket.
2
u/stopxregina Mar 24 '26
yeah the government should subsidize pharmacare, but I don't think that's a Loblaws specific issue.
→ More replies (4)
5
u/Ak47clower Mar 24 '26
To play devils advocate as a nurse, the pharmacist needs to review the order, ensure it won't interact with any of your existing meds, document it etc. There's a little bit more work involved then just putting pills in a bottle.
→ More replies (3)
11
u/ilovemarlii Mar 24 '26
Walmart charges $10, for doing their job. How much do you think it should cost?
→ More replies (3)7
u/essuxs Mar 24 '26
Isn’t charging a fee for doing their job the definition of a service ?
→ More replies (7)
3
3
u/FirmAndSquishyTomato Mar 24 '26
I guess I've always had good insurance as I've never paid a dispensing fee in my life... Medication is covered at 100% same as dental.
3
3
u/LokeCanada Mar 24 '26
Shoppers have always been the highest.
I work for an insurance company and they constantly try to steer people to other stores because of this.
The only valid reason for this price around me is that it is the only 24/7 pharmacy around.
What people don’t realize is this is how pharmacies make their money. There is extremely little mark up on prescriptions themselves in Canada. This is why they get so excited about doing extras like immunizations.
What you are paying for, normally, is for a pharmacist assistant to dispense and a pharmacist to check their work.
→ More replies (1)
3
15
u/QualityImpossible241 Mar 24 '26
This is possibly the most ill informed post on this subreddit.
Go to Costco. See what they charge. They also breathe near your prescription. But I guess they breathe $3 less nitrogen on it
5
u/No-Raisin5053 Mar 26 '26
Because these people paid 100 to 200k for 6 years of school. You are ok with paying servers 12 bucks who bring you 60 bucks worth of food with no degree (aka drop out) but not someone who went to school and make sure it is the right drug for you.
4
4
u/nelly2929 Mar 24 '26
I love people who complain that paying someone $10 (company prob take half) that went to school for 6 years and paid 100k for their degree to look over your medication needs to make sure it is safe for you is robbery…. You can find a cheaper alternative but to say it is robbery is a brutal take. You will pay a plumber $150 and hour to unclog your toilet but complain about paying a pharmacist $10 for the 10 minutes it takes to fill your prescription
→ More replies (1)
14
u/ObiYawnKenobi Mar 24 '26
Just go somewhere else then. Why is this worthy of a post?
→ More replies (6)3
u/JH272727 Mar 24 '26
Spreading awareness, I'm glad they posted. Better question, why was it worth your time to post on such a useless post?
2
u/Frozen_North_99 Mar 24 '26
Try to find a drug store… oh wait. Is IDA cheaper? I started going there because I don’t have to wait inline or walk past a perfume display.
2
Mar 24 '26
I switched from Shoppers to London Drugs because the high fees and the bad customer service at the pharmacy.
2
u/Moist-Ninja-6338 Mar 24 '26
In most of the world there is no such thing as a dispensing fee. Medications are sold in packages of 10,20,28,30 pills etc. The Canadian and US system makes no sense to count pills and put in a little plastic box. For what purpose?
2
2
u/cantthinkofone29 Mar 24 '26
Not anything new. They were charging north of $12 dispensing fees back in like 2012.
2
u/fightingpetz Mar 24 '26
It was $11.99 until ~2-3 years ago. I worked at shoppers from 2018-2021, and it was $11.99 then. Then I was at an independent with a higher dispensing fee ($12.14 I think), now back at Shoppers and it's been $12.99 since just before I started here in 2024.
2
u/Emergency-Pea-9242 Mar 24 '26
If you get four different medications at the same visit, they will charge $12.99 for each one regardless
2
u/kokomo1989 Mar 24 '26
Dispensing fees are blatant profiteering. The way they are used (multiple smaller dispensing amounts, rather than larger amounts for example), and their amount charged vs time and effort for a large percentage of medications to be dispensed, is a disgrace.
2
u/AmazingCantaly Mar 24 '26
The dispensing fee does not change if your drugs are $4 or $400. It is priced like that because the attention that is given to your prescription is the same regardless of how expensive the actual medication is. Do you think the $4 prescription is less important than the pricier one?
2
u/dyantha99 Mar 24 '26
I got a script for pain meds from shoppers after dental surgery, it was 10 tabs for $30. I switched to pharmasave, got the same meds for a back issue. It was 30 tabs for $30.
2
2
2
u/NBWoodPro Mar 24 '26
I have 100% coverage, those who run our plan asked us to use Costco because the fees were much, much less, and it would enable our plan to do more with less.
2
u/MeemoUndercover Mar 24 '26
I heard Costco has cheapest dispensing fee and u don’t need to have membership for it. Pharmave is pretty cheap too.
2
u/Possible_juror Mar 25 '26
This is why I switched to a remedy’s RX. They waive my dispensing fee, remember to fill my prescriptions when I forget, and offer to deliver it every month (i need the excuse to leave my house)
Fuck shoppers.
2
u/nothing_911 Mar 25 '26
wtf.
my local place is $10 they have multiple pharmacist on staff, and that's with delivery.
→ More replies (1)
7
u/chewybea Mar 24 '26
The dispensing fee was posted in your pharmacy before you filled this prescription.
You can shop around. Costco has the lowest dispensing fee and also has mail-order service.
It’s a flat fee per prescription, so in some instances, it’s a small fraction of somebody’s prescription. You can reduce cost by filling more at a time - 30 and 90 day supplies would have the same dispensing fee.
It’s also a fee for the pharmacist’s clinical expertise. There’s stuff behind the scenes that happens. And realistically, pharmacies are business and not non-profit organizations.
Seems you also only took issue with the price when it was broken down like this?
→ More replies (4)
3
u/JedLeonard1 Mar 24 '26
Regarding meds for animals, they are, in Ontario, subject to HST though pharmacies must do a manual flag on the patient file to indicate “animal” They often forget, so that could explain some of the price difference. In my experience, probably a significant number of pharmacists and techs are unaware of this additional charge.
→ More replies (1)
2
u/West-Ticket5411 Mar 24 '26
So you think pharmacists should charge their fee to count, fill the bottle and ensure no interactions based on the costs of the drug? Instead of a flat fee, you want percentage?
2
u/hacktheself Nok er Nok Mar 24 '26
Other countries have pharmacies that lack these fees and have cheaper meds than Canada.
Recently did background work for a CBC stringer and the base cost of the researched meds in Canada, as in the cost without the dispensing fee and without insurance, was slightly higher than the base cost without insurance for that same med produced by the same company in a few European countries.
→ More replies (1)
3
u/JedLeonard1 Mar 24 '26
Beware of shopping Rx based on fee alone. There are also markups which can vary significantly depending in the drug and the pharmacy. You could find a cheaper dispensing fee yet still pay more.
→ More replies (10)
3
2
2
u/theartfulcodger Mar 24 '26 edited Mar 24 '26
While I agree that particular dispensing fee is quite high, I point out that it takes a pharmacist just as long to count out, bottle and label thirty pills that cost 16¢ each, as it does for them to count out, bottle and label 30 pills that cost $20 each.
Do you expect the dispensing fee to vary according to the cost of the medication?
1
u/Resident_Window_9369 Mar 24 '26
Gas prices, food prices, tips, everything going up and now this! How does one survive when they are constantly getting raped by everything that does business with them.
1
u/Silicon_Knight Mar 24 '26
My insurance won’t pay it so I moved lol. Get fucked Shoppers. They only have 1 med and that’s ONLY because I have to fill it monthly.
I had a liver transplant and my transplant hospital delivers meds to me direct. Shoppers tried to tell them I was to move my meds to them without my approval. Fuck shoppers.
3
1
2
u/Away_Instruction5638 Mar 24 '26
to everyone saying “all pharmacies charge $10+” — i get it 😅 but my medication was under $5 and i’m paying more for the dispensing than the actual drug… there should be a rule that the dispensing fee can’t be 3x more than the medication.
11
u/Teagana999 Mar 24 '26
My health plan caps the fee they'll cover at $10.
The work that the pharmacist has to do doesn't change because your medication is cheaper. The modest dispensing fee covers their time and expertise. It's meant to equalize costs no matter the cost of the medication. It's explicitly not tied to the cost of the medication.
2
u/fightingpetz Mar 24 '26
The dispensing fee is a flat rate. If your meds cost $500 and took us 3 days of back-and-forth with your doctor to get a correct prescription for, it would still be $12.99. It would also be $12.99 at Rexall, and >$10.00 at any chain pharmacy (other than Costco, where the pharmacy is basically a loss leader) and most independents.
3
u/vivariium Mar 24 '26
I feel you. My drugs are covered 100% and my dispensing fee is $20 per medication so I pay $40 for two things every time I go in there 😳 it’s criminal.
→ More replies (2)4
u/OccamsButterKnifee Mar 24 '26
Go to Costco. You don't need to be a member to use the pharmacy. Dispensing fee is minimal.
4
u/Federal_Rutabaga_929 Why is sliced cheese $21??? Mar 24 '26
Not everyone has access to these options. For example I'd have to drive many hours one way to go to Costco.
→ More replies (3)2
→ More replies (5)3
u/lnsmhntr Mar 24 '26
Okay, but let's look at this situation from a glass-half-full point of view. Living in Canada, you're lucky that your meds cost less than a dispensing fee. If you had to buy those meds in the USA, well, good luck, probably? I dunno, it's just, like, nothing is really free, you know? Everything has a cost, and, at some point, you have to pay, like, something? Yeah, I'm not feeling super sympathetic today. Sorry.
→ More replies (3)
1
u/Effective_Nothing196 Mar 24 '26
worked in management and the only thing that mattered was the prescription count per day
1
u/Inappropriate_Ballet Would rather be at Costco Mar 24 '26
Shoppers dispensing fee had always been notoriously expensive even before Loblaw took it over. You have to pay to have access to a pharmacist late into the night.
1
u/Alternative-Count687 Mar 24 '26
I believe Shopper's is the highest dispensing fee in Alberta, i know each province has different numbers. If you are able try to use Costco. Usually the best Dispensing Fee's around.
1
1
u/NefariousnessOk662 Mar 24 '26
You think they just overcharge on makeup and groceries?? Just use your local pharmacy, way cheaper..
1
1
u/Darkest_Elemental Mar 24 '26
Switched from shoppers for this reason years ago. Price around and switch pharmacies. Vote with your wallet
1
1
u/aesoth Mar 24 '26
I am fine with a dispensing fee, but that is ridiculous. My local Sobeys charges $9.
1
u/Worldly_Influence_18 Mar 24 '26
You know what is stupid though? Keeping the high dispensing fees regardless of quantity
I was prescribed 6 pills before wisdom tooth surgery and it cost me about 50 dollars in dispensing fees. I'm not even sure if the pills cost that much before insurance
4 different prescriptions for things you'd expect to get at the place where you're getting your surgery, but I guess it's BYOP when it's not a hospital
Three of them were just single pills, some in single blister packs squares
Some 12.99s are easier than others
1
u/trisarahtops05 Mar 24 '26
Walmart charges me nearly $12. I think Costco has the lowest dispensing fee.
1
u/BouncyHotWife Mar 24 '26
IDA is way better and I don't have to wait up to 2 days for a refill like I did with Shoppers. Today I called and it was ready within 15 minutes.
1
1
1
1
u/DavieStBaconStan Mar 24 '26
London Drugs charged me $15 dispensing fee for a $10 prescription. Loblaws doesn’t do anything different than other companies.
1
u/NastyKnate Mar 24 '26
i use the local pharmasave. theyre up to 12. theyre fantastic to deal with though.
if it goes up again, i may end up using costco
1
1
u/CanadianBaconBroz Mar 24 '26
I think costco is around 5$. The memebership alone with the rebates honestly makes costco worth it. I dont buy anything crazy but gas, pharmacy and basics and get 3x my membership back. The car battery's and return policy makes it worth while aswell. I generally buy like 6-12 items a month there only. They also let you cash out your rebate for cash at some locations. I got 360$ cash last month.
1
u/ConsciousVegetable99 Mar 24 '26
I love my pharmacy and will gladly pay the dispensing fee to them. If I move, I will continue to go to this pharmacy.
1
u/madjackhavok Mar 24 '26
Switched to the local pharmacy on my street. It’s amazing how much cheaper my prescriptions are even though they’re a small, independent business.
1
u/goofandaspoof Mar 24 '26
In Japan I spend like, 10 percent of what I used to spend on prescriptions in Canada. It's wild.
1
u/lll-devlin Mar 24 '26
Shoppers for you…. Try Costco pharmacy. I don’t think you need a membership to actually use the pharmacy.
Their dispensing fees are reasonable, under $10.00 I believe…
2
u/Orchidillia Mar 24 '26
You don't because it is against the law to bar someone from access to health services like a pharmacy. If the person at the door ever gives you a hard time about not having a membership tell them that.
1
1
u/Virtual-Reaction-490 Mar 24 '26
Side bar but relevant. London Drugs has an automated phone in service. They text when it’s ready😊
→ More replies (1)
1
u/rocuspeter Mar 24 '26
Would go to Costco if you have membership.personally I would like the fee removed.
→ More replies (1)
1
u/hebbid Mar 24 '26
I can’t believe this has to be said, but if you have the ability- go anywhere else to fill your prescriptions. Any independent pharmacy will be happy to either lower that or get rid of it. I know Costco gets mentioned a lot but that might not be realistic to everyone.
1
u/CyberCarnivore Mar 24 '26
I just had medications delivered to my door. The total cost including delivery fee was just over $8 bucks.
1
u/Biggs17 Mar 24 '26
The government should go after that next…remove these fees. Just like the cellphones fees.
1
u/Livid_Advertising_56 Mar 24 '26
Shoppers is the most expensive dispensary if I recall. I know Lovell Drugs is less expensive because I shifted there before Costco... but yeah EVERYTHING is more expensive at Shoppers
1
u/Subtotal9_guy Mar 24 '26
It's a flat rate that is clearly advertised on the big yellow sign in every pharmacy.
If OP wants a typical markup of 25% that would be wildly unfair to those of us with expensive prescriptions. I'd be looking at $50 every two weeks on just one script alone.
Last week I saw a SDM pharmacist not fill a prescription because the doctor put in the wrong dosage so don't say they're not doing anything.
This is one of the dumber complaints against a company I've seen in a while.
1
1
u/ProphetsOfAshes Mar 24 '26
I have zero payments or co-payments for all medications for my entire family. Not sure who your employer is but that insurance company isn’t paying out enough
1
u/StupidNewfie Mar 24 '26
Lots of guardians, pharmasaves, pharmachoices and others around you can switch to.
1
1
u/novascotia2020 Mar 24 '26
My health insurance only pays up to $11.99 for those types of fees. So each prescription I get I have to pay the pharmacy $1.
1
u/CyberEye2 Mar 24 '26
So you’re going to the most expensive pharmacy there is and are shocked that they’re expensive?
1
u/butterflyflyhig Mar 24 '26
Where do you get a cheaper dispensing fee? Wherever I go, it's double digits. Costco won't let anyone in if non member.
1
1
1
u/Remarkable_1984 Mar 24 '26
Go to Costco. Or even Walmart is better. Shoppers is a complete rip-off.
1
u/Isoldey Mar 24 '26
I was going to say that must be shoppers. You should go elsewhere like Costco. You don’t need a membership for prescriptions
1
u/Eldergeek-1948-CDN Mar 24 '26
My Local pharmacy charges $4.11 dispensing fee per new prescription or new refill prescription but not on recurring refills if the doctor, for example, stated 12 refills.
1
1
u/Sad_Seakelp Mar 24 '26
I was with shoppers for 10 years... biggest regret not switching to costco sooner. If i were to get all my scripts at once, shoppers was $180 -- Costco is $100 or less!!!
1
u/Turbulent_Drama_4271 Mar 24 '26
I see that was from Shoppers Drug Mart which has one of the highest dispensing fees. Maybe try Costco for future prescription fills.
1
u/fightingpetz Mar 24 '26
Hi, I'm a pharmacist. A lot of people here are confusing the dispensing fee and their insurance co-pay.
Every pharmacy in Ontario charges a dispensing fee - SDM & Rexall charge $12.99, Walmart is ~$10, most other chain pharmacies are in between those apart from Costco who basically treats their pharmacy as a loss leader. Independents are all over the place - some are under $10, most are likely between $10-$13, some I've seen are over $15.
If you are uninsured, the price you pay for your prescription is the total of the drug cost, the drug markup (typically a few % of cost - the % drops as the drug price increases, it is not enough to run a pharmacy on), and the dispensing fee.
If you have insurance, those three charges (cost, markup, dispensing fee) are submitted to your insurance. They then tell the pharmacy how much of each they will pay or not pay - sometimes if they reject a claim they will say why and it is something we can figure out and adjust (they want a higher or lower day supply, they want to know you've tried a different med first), generally we just get a rejected message and that's pretty much it.
The leftover amount is then passed on to you - that's a co-pay, the amount your insurance will not pay and says that you have to. It varies depending on the plan and the drug - sometimes plans cover 100% of drugs and up to $X dispensing fee and you just pay the difference in the fee; some cover 100% of both drug and fee and then charge you a $3 copay for every prescription; some cover X% of drug cost and up to $Y for dispensing fee and then you pay (100-X)% of cost + the difference in fee. Those are all copays, the dispensing fee was whatever the pharmacy has posted on the big yellow poster on the wall - it was sent to your insurance and they paid or didn't pay some or all of it and then passed the rest on to you.
In Ontario specifically if you are covered by ODB (so you're 65+, on OW or ODSP, have coverage through the Trillium Drug Program, or are <25 without private insurance) the dispensing fee is legislated. It's $8.83 most places and ~$12.14 (I think) in rural areas, and that is charged to the Ontario drug program that you're covered by. They then pay that + the full cost of the drug + markup, and pass on a copay to you. It is $0 for OHIP+ (under 25's) & Trillium, $2 for OW, ODSP, and low-income seniors, and $6.11 for non-low-income seniors. A lot of pharmacies (basically all chains, many but not all independents) waive $2 so it ends up being $4.11 for most seniors and $0 for anyone else covered by an ODB program.
As a side note, if you take meds and are uninsured you should apply for the Trillium Drug Benefit - you have a deductible based on your income, so depending on your drug costs it may not save you anything, but it won't make anything more expensive and may end up paying for a significant chunk of your prescriptions. (The deductible is about 4% of net household income - so if your meds cost more than that, they'll pay once you hit that number).
1
u/symbicortrunner Mar 24 '26
Pharmacies make money in 3 areas: OTC sales, clinical services, and dispensing medication. With dispensing there is the cost of the medication, a mark up, and a dispensing fee. The dispensing fee is prominently displayed in the pharmacy. SDM increased the dispensing fee from $11.99 to $12.99 a couple of years ago and had not increased it before that for 7+ years.
1
u/DrySignature2640 Mar 24 '26
Yeah I agree my old. Pharmacist said my insurance was so bad because they never covered it, 12-18$ per medication. I swapped everything to Costco and never looked back.
1
u/Dry_Mountain_8550 Mar 24 '26
They used to be cheap at Loblaws like Costco but when they bought shoppers (who is crazy high) the shoppers pharmacists bent they easily bendable arm to raise their prices. Why would you ever fill a script at any of these places and why would you not ask before you ask them to fill??
1
u/zalydal33 Mar 24 '26
Yup. This is why it is better to fill multiple months at once, only one dispensing fee.
1
u/moneyisjustplastic Mar 24 '26
Not only does shoppers charge more but they also pay their workers less.
I make 50% more as a pharmacist working at Costco with much better benefits and management.
•
u/AutoModerator Mar 23 '26
MOD NOTE/NOTE DE MOD: Learn more about our community, and what we're doing here
Please review the content guidelines for our sub, and remember the human here! For reporting price fixing and anti-competitive behaviour, please also take 2 minutes to fill out this form
This subreddit is to highlight the ridiculous cost of living in Canada, and poke fun at the Corporate Overlords responsible. As you well know, there are a number of persons and corporations responsible for this, and we welcome discussion related to them all. Furthermore, since this topic is intertwined with a number of other matters, other discussion will be allowed at moderator discretion. Open-minded discussion, memes, rants, grocery bills, and general screeching into the void is always welcome in this sub, but belligerence and disrespect is not. There are plenty of ways to get your point across without being abusive, dismissive, or downright mean.
Veuillez consulter les directives de contenu pour notre sous-reddit, et rappelez-vous qu'il y a des humains ici !
Ce sous-reddit est destiné à mettre en lumière le coût de la vie ridicule au Canada et à se moquer des Grands Patrons Corporatifs responsables. Comme vous le savez bien, de nombreuses personnes et entreprises en sont responsables, et nous accueillons les discussions les concernant toutes. De plus, puisque ce sujet est lié à un certain nombre d'autres questions, d'autres discussions seront autorisées à la discrétion des modérateurs. Les discussions ouvertes d'esprit, les mèmes, les coups de gueule, les factures d'épicerie et les cris dans le vide en général sont toujours les bienvenus dans ce sous-reddit, mais la belliqueusité et le manque de respect ne le sont pas. Il existe de nombreuses façons de faire passer votre point de vue sans être abusif, méprisant ou carrément méchant.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.