Opposition Leader Yvonne Jones says it is completely unacceptable that Labrador-Grenfell Health is increasing the prescription dispensing fees paid by patients living in communities in southern Labrador. The fees will now increase from as low as $2.00 per prescription to $8.50.

There are no local retail pharmacies in southern Labrador from L’Anse au Clair to Charlottetown. As a result, patients are forced to purchase their prescriptions at the local health clinic. Labrador-Grenfell Health recently decided without consultation with patients that these fees will increase effective October 1^st, 2008.

“People in southern Labrador are very upset with the decision by Labrador-Grenfell Health to increase the prescription dispensing fees,” said Ms. Jones. “There was no consultation with area residents and patients are very worried as to what these fee increases will mean for their monthly medication bills. Many of these people are seniors or on a limited income and cannot afford a $6.00 increase per prescription, especially when there are several that must be filled each month.

“While Labrador-Grenfell Health has told me that these increases are necessary to bring southern Labrador fees in line with the rest of Labrador, there certainly could have been more consultation with local patients to look for solutions and help people adjust to these dramatic fee increases. Instead, residents in southern Labrador will be forced to sacrifice other necessities in order to afford their prescription medications.

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