As of June 15, pharmacists in Alberta can begin to give out larger quantities again, up to a 100-day supply. 

To handle the critical drug supply issues that affected Alberta and the world due to COVID-19, government recommended pharmacists dispense a maximum 30-day supply of prescription drugs, when appropriate. This made sure pharmacies could supply people with the prescriptions they needed. Because of this temporary measure and the evolving COVID-19 situation, conditions have improved. 

The Alberta College of Pharmacy and the Alberta Pharmacists’ Association support this recommendation and encourage pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to begin to fill prescriptions as they normally would. 

Margaret Wing, CEO, Alberta Pharmacists’ Association, says, “The temporary 30-day medication supply recommendation has certainly helped to stabilize the majority of the drug supply chain. While we understand that some medication shortages continue to exist for certain medications, we are confident that pharmacists will be able to transition patients back to receiving three-month supplies for the majority of their medications where appropriate.” 

While supply levels appear to be returning to normal, some drugs are still in limited supply. Pharmacists should use their professional judgment and dispense a 30-day supply when necessary for specific drugs that continue to have shortages or supply chain issues. Pharmacists can use the drug shortage list posted on the Alberta Blue Cross website as a reference. If a medication dispensed is on the list, government-sponsored drug plan members will pay the maximum copayment of $8. 

Government, industry, pharmacy organizations, and other health sector partners continue to monitor supply levels. If there is evidence that there isn’t enough supply, or that drugs are being stockpiled, government could re-introduce limits.