Some B.C. pharmacies have resumed prohibited cash payments to patients, pharmacists’ letter alleges

Some pharmacists have resumed the practice of offering prohibited cash incentives in exchange for patients’ prescription business, despite media and government scrutiny last spring that forced a temporary halt to the kickbacks, say pharmacists in a letter to British Columbia’s Health Minister.The letter to Health Minister Josie Osborne and College of Pharmacists of B.C. registrar Suzanne Solven, obtained by The Globe and Mail, is signed by 10 professionals who identify themselves as concerned pharmacists practising in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. The letter pleads for urgent intervention in the matter. It said the kickbacks not only undermine the integrity of their profession but pose significant risks to vulnerable patients and public health.“Approximately eight months ago, media reports highlighted allegations of pharmacies offering incentives to attract prescriptions, prompting your swift response in forming a special investigation panel,” said the Nov. 26 letter, which added that many pharmacists provided the college with detailed information about illegal activities.