Canadian insurance company Manulife announced that its coverage of certain specialty prescription drugs will only apply at Loblaw-owned pharmacies, a deal that pharmacare policy experts say raises concerns about competition and patient access to much-needed medication.
These kinds of exclusivity deals, known as preferred pharmacy network arrangements, are common in the U.S. and are gaining traction in Canada, said Steve Morgan, an economist and professor of health policy at the University of British Columbia.
“It is a means of insurers exercising market power in the pharmacy sector,” said Morgan, who studies pharmacare systems, in an email.
The Manulife-Loblaw arrangement — details of which were shared with plan holders earlier this month —
