Federal Budget Enhances Patient Access to Pharmacist Services

Canadian Pharmacists Association Commends Federal Government for Making Non-Dispensing Professional Fees GST/HST Exempt in Today's Federal Budget, Enhancing Access to Pharmacists' Services for Patients

OTTAWA, March 29, 2012: The Canadian Pharmacists Association (CPhA) today commended the federal government for announcing a change to the federal Excise Tax Act that will add pharmacists to the list of recognized health care “practitioners.” The immediate impact of this change will be that all non-dispensing professional fees charged by a pharmacist will now be exempt from the GST/HST. This change is effective March 30, 2012.

The Canadian Pharmacists Association and the Canadian Association of Chain Drug Stores (CACDS) have been working for several years to bring about this change.  Given that pharmacists in almost every Canadian jurisdiction are being granted additional clinical responsibilities, CPhA and CACDS made the argument to the federal government that changing the Excise Tax Act to recognize pharmacists as health care practitioners was a necessary measure to reflect current practice. 

The true beneficiaries of this change will be patients. By removing the GST/HST from pharmacists’ service fees, this Budget announcement will increase access to a growing number of services offered by pharmacists.

“We are very pleased that the Minister of Finance has recognized the fact that pharmacists are integral members of the health care team by introducing this amendment to the Excise Tax Act recognizing pharmacists as health care practitioners,” stated Jeff Poston, Executive Director of CPhA.  “Not only will this change eliminate the need to charge GST/HST for non-dispensing professional fees, but this change recognizes the significant changes in the role that pharmacists are playing in the Canadian health care system.”

The Canadian Pharmacists Association was founded in 1907 and is the national professional voluntary association providing leadership to pharmacists in all areas of practice. Our members are active in community and hospital pharmacies, in long-term care facilities, home care, academia and industry.