Fee face-off: how much do pharmacies get paid across the country?

Fees for pharmacy services vary widely across the country, according to new numbers released by the Canadian Foundation for Pharmacy.

The organization looked at fees for 2022, focusing on prescription renewals and influenza vaccinations. Here’s what they found: 

Influenza vaccines 

The fees for flu shots were highest in Quebec, at $15.66, followed by Saskatchewan at $14, and Alberta, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador, all at $13. Nova Scotia was just underneath that at $12.55. Manitoba had the lowest fee, at $7—which hasn’t risen since its introduction in 2014. Ontario followed at $8.50, and British Columbia around the middle at $12.10

Only Quebec and Nova Scotia regularly increased their fees in recent years, with Quebec’s rising from $11.40 in 2020 to $15.66 in 2022 and Nova Scotia’s rising from $11.50 in 2013 to $12.55 in 2022. Alberta’s fees dropped from $20 in 2012 to $13 in 2022.

Read: 5 top ways to get your patients to step up for a flu shot

Prescription renewals

Pharmacists in all provinces can renew prescriptions, but not all can bill for that work. Manitoba, Ontario and Newfoundland and Labrador don’t have funding for prescription renewals. Other provinces have a range of fees. The lowest is Saskatchewan, which pays $6;British Columbia, which pays $10; and Quebec, which pays $14.09. On the higher end, Alberta and Prince Edward Island both pay $20. At the same time, New Brunswick has a range of $10 to $20, depending on the number of prescriptions, and Nova Scotia also has a range between $12 and $20, depending on how many prescriptions are renewed. 

Quebec increased the fee for prescription renewals several times over the past few years, as it did for flu shots and most other funded services.  

Read: Can pharmacists give patients a faxed prescription if they can’t fill it?