Thousands have signed a petition to support local pharmacies in the face of cuts.
    The Drumheller Mail reported local pharmacists’ reactions to the announcement that the Alberta Government would be cutting generic drug prices from 35 per cent of brand names to just 18 per cent in its March 27 edition. Ray Ainscough of Riverside Value Drug Mart says there is strong support from residents and politicians.
    The signatures came mostly from 15-30 stores,” said Ainscough.
    He adds the issue has been front and centre in the legislature and he appreciates the work the opposition has done to bring awareness to the industry’s plight.
    Ainscough said the new drug plan has the potential to take away $400 million from pharmacists, and while the Alberta Government has taken to advertising that the plan will save residents money, he believes it will end up more expensive.
    “In the long run it is going to cost everybody money,” said Ainscough. “Once you get to a certain point and costs get to be so much, many  generic companies may decide not to do business with Alberta.”
    He says if other companies pull out, that may leave a situation where there is only one generic supplier, and they will be able to simply name their price. Another scenario is if there are no generic suppliers.
    “If it is not affordable for any generic company and they pull out, all that is left is the brand names and prices will go up,” he explains.
    Arson Gincher opened the local Shoppers Drug Mart four years ago. He says the government has taken away with one hand, and is offering to give back with the other, although just how much has not materialized.
    “The government already did change and reduced revenue in one way, and showed they would open a gate for revenue in a different way, but the gate is not fully opened yet, it still needs to be opened,” said  Gincher. “The effect will be determined a little bit later How much will service change?”
    “There is no balance yet, and I think it is up to us to keep working and hoping there is revenue-for-revenue.”
     Gincher says at this point he understands his business will be losing some revenues but at this point he has no plans to change hours or staffing levels.    
    The most frustrating part for Ainscough is that he feels there was no consultation with pharmacists.
    “It has been unilateral all the way through. There has been no negotiations,” said Ainscough. “If they talked to us we could make savings for all Albertans, but when you make a unilateral decision without consulting anybody, and you are not the experts in the field, you are going to have problems.”
    The new plan was expected to be in place on May 1, however Ainscough says there are still many questions.
    “If you have these decisions to make, let us know so we know how to deal with them.  We don’t know, the generic companies don’t know, the wholesalers don’t know …the government should know you can’t change everything in a day. There is a process.
    “They haven’t thought it through, they haven’t asked us. They are just cutting a deal,” said Ainscough. “If you are going to subtract that much from us there has to be a mechanism to replace it.”

    The Alberta Government is giving seniors the province to keep a little extra money in their pockets and help them stay in their homes longer.
    On April 22, the province unveiled a new property tax deferral program, where homeowners 65 years and older can defer all or part of their residential property taxes through a low-interest home equity loan with the Alberta government. The loans are repaid when the home is sold, or sooner if the senior chooses.
    It is estimated the program will free up an average of $2,000 per year for senior homeowners.
    “We know most seniors live on fixed incomes, and that while many are house-rich, day-to-day cash flow is sometimes limited,” said Associate Minister of Seniors, George VanderBurg. “With the Seniors Property Tax Deferral program, we’re offering seniors a way to free up funds that otherwise would have been spent on property taxes.”
    However, the program could exacerbate housing issues for local seniors housing groups.
    “Everyone wants to see seniors stay in their homes as long as possible, which is a good thing as long as they are safe and cared for,” said Tom Zariski, vice-chair of Drumheller and District Seniors Foundation.
    “The issue we need to address is we are planning for the future...we have been a little frustrated with not being able to find out how many people are being cared for in their homes and at what level, so we can plan for down the road.”
    The result of the program could also mean seniors would enter seniors housing at a higher level of need.
    “Eventually these people are going to have to go into a care home, but at an SL3 or SL4 level,” said Zariski.
    The Drumheller Seniors Foundation is hoping to be ready for an expected spike in those needing seniors housing.
    “We are anticipating a fairly big increase in the future, but we don’t know what that might be. We’re building up capital reserve funding to build another wing, but we don’t know what we’re going to need,” said Zariski.
    To be eligible for the property tax deferral, homeowners must be at least 65-years-old and have a minimum equity of 25 per cent in their home. The home must be the senior’s primary residence.