Neighbourhood Pharmacies has developed a set of key messages outlining our views and recommendations on specialty pharmacy services — an essential and growing area of care for patients with complex medication needs.
These messages reflect our key themes and priorities as we work with stakeholders, policymakers, and the broader health community to strengthen access to safe, effective, and patient-centred specialty care.
Together, we’re advocating for informed patient choice, fair access, and a sustainable, thriving pharmacy sector that supports high-quality care for all Canadians.
Specialty Pharmacy Services
- Specialty medications are high-value, high-touch, and often high-cost drugs used to treat chronic, rare, genetic, or otherwise complex conditions.
- These medications often require enhanced pharmacy services — including special handling, storage, administration, monitoring, and clinical coordination — to ensure patient safety and treatment success.
- Pharmacies of all business models across Canada dispense some medications that meet the definition of “specialty.”
- Many pharmacies have made significant investments in infrastructure, facilities, and technology to focus their operations on delivering specialty medications and the complex care they require.
- The specialty pharmacy services that enable safe and effective care are largely unfunded by the healthcare system, meaning pharmacies make substantial investment to maintain this critical capacity and protect patient access.
Protecting Informed Patient Choice
- In some cases, patient access to specialty medications has been restricted to pharmacies within closed Preferred Provider Networks (PPNs).
- Protecting informed patient choice must be the foundation of any framework governing PPNs.
- Patients should always have the right to choose where to access their medications, supported by transparent information that enables them to make the best decisions for their health needs.
- PPNs should be open to any pharmacy that is able to deliver the services required to support specialty medications.
- The pharmacy sector must lead in defining “able” and developing PPN readiness criteria to ensure they reflect operational realities and protect patient access.
- Specialty medications should be defined by the complexity of care they require.
Thriving Pharmacy Sector
- A thriving and diverse pharmacy sector strengthens access to medications and care across Canada.
- Pharmacies of all business models play a vital role in serving patients and communities.
- Fair and sustainable compensation models are essential for all pharmacies providing high-touch, patient-centred support.
- Pharmacy professionals and operators must retain the autonomy to deliver care in the most efficient and effective way to meet the unique needs of the patients and communities they serve.
- Supporting professional autonomy and financial sustainability ensures patients continue to receive high-quality, accessible care across all settings.