Canada

The idea is that an insurance company deals exclusively with one or several pharmacies in exchange for lower costs. Steve Morgan, a professor at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver and an expert on pharmacare systems, said that "we don't know exactly how much of the savings that are generated get passed on to the consumer at the end of the day."

Oh I have a pretty good idea about that…

I think the best strategy is to put name of ceos and decision makers instead of companies name. Because these people don't care about anything other than their money..

Yea, of all the things we could emulate from America their health system is definitely top of the list.

For anyone wondering this is at current time Provincially regulated.

Some provinces have regulations that require a person's written consent if an insurance agreement restricts access to their pharmacy of choice, including Ontario. But according to the Ontario College of Pharmacists, when it comes to preferred provider contracts, "consent is given by the [patient] when they opt-in or enrol for benefits."

The only province in Canada where these kinds of exclusivity deals are illegal is in Quebec. The province's Bill 92 prohibits preferred pharmacy arrangements between pharmacies and insurance providers.

This is the best summary I could come up with:

Manulife has announced that its coverage of 260 specialty prescription drugs will apply only at Loblaw-owned pharmacies, a deal that was first reported by The Canadian Press on Tuesday.

This type of arrangement, called a preferred pharmacy network, is common in the United States and gaining traction in Canada.

Steve Morgan, a professor at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver and an expert on pharmacare systems, said that "we don't know exactly how much of the savings that are generated get passed on to the consumer at the end of the day."

CBC News reached out to Canada Life to ask whether the insurance company has exclusivity deals with pharmacies, but a spokesperson did not respond before deadline.

As for the co-pay — which is the standard rate that a person pays for their prescriptions and other pharmaceutical care — Mina Tadrous, an assistant professor at the University of Toronto's faculty of pharmacy, said it depends on an individual's specific insurance plan.

Some provinces have regulations that require a person's written consent if an insurance agreement restricts access to their pharmacy of choice, including Ontario.

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