The Saskatchewan Green Party recently sent out a press release where it was suggested the party had learned of an allegation the Sunrise Health Region had "allegedly aggregated the distribution of prescription drugs through one pharmacy in Yorkton."
The release went on to state "it is alleged that just one pharmacy in the Health Region will distribute prescriptions to hospitals and care homes within the Health Region from now on."
"The alleged centralization of distributing prescription drugs within the Sunrise Health Region institutions, if true, is devastating to the economies of the towns and villages with the affected pharmacies," said Saskatchewan Green Leader Victor Lau in the release.
The allegations are false said Robert Wiwchark, VP of Integrated Health Services with the local health region.
When asked if Sunrise Health Region had changed how pharmacy services are provided, Wiwchark replied, "there haven't been.
"There has not been a decision to centralize pharmacy services for long term care."
While Sunrise Health Region ran a deficit in its last fiscal year, and is reviewing operations, Wiwchark said, "pharmacy services for long terms care has not been on the books to look at."
Wiwchark explained SHR has contracts in place between pharmacies and long term care facilities, and unless a situation arises where a pharmacy "is not meeting the terms of the contract," they will remain in effect.
The contracts are "typically" between a pharmacy local to the long term care facility, so SHR has contracts with pharmacies in smaller centres such as Canora, Kamsack, Foam Lake, Langenburg and others in addition to Yorkton.
Wiwchark said the current system meets the SHR's main goal "to ensure quality services for long term care residents
"To-date it has worked very well."
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