People are swarming pharmacies for help with prescription renewal as N.B. promises to fix rocky virtual care rollout

A routine prescription renewal should not require hours on the phone or repeated attempts to navigate an unfamiliar healthcare system. But that's the reality some New Brunswick patients are saying they've faced since the province changed virtual care providers more than a month ago. On June 30, New Brunswick replaced eVisitNB with Virtual Care NB, a private service operated by Foundever, which also runs the province's Tele-Care 811 health line. The company took over under a two-year, $26-million contract after the province opted not to renew its agreement with eVisitNB, which launched during the COVID-19 pandemic.In the weeks since however, some patients have reported difficulty navigating the new system and delays renewing prescriptions. Pharmacists say they've seen more people coming into physical pharmacy locations, seeking help with renewals.In a provincial media briefing on Wednesday, the province announced it intended to implement fixes to make renewing prescriptions easier. Health Minister Dr. John Dornan said patients will soon be able to request prescription renewals online instead of calling Tele-Care 811.“I am confident the service will continue to stabilize as improvements are implemented,” Dr. Dornan told reporters during the briefing. “We know that prescription renewals are an area where improvements are needed.” While taking responsibility for earlier assurances that the switch would be seamless, Dr. Dornan said the province had underestimated how many people relied on virtual care for prescription renewals, noting that previous provider eVisitNB had not shared detailed data on those requests.eVisitNB, however, has challenged that explanation. Speaking to the River Valley Sun, CEO Dr. Hanif Chatur said the company had in fact shared prescription data with the province on multiple occasions, including figures showing that about “63% of patients presenting to eVisitNB were looking for a prescription renewal.” A Department of Health report obtained by the River Valley Sun indicated the province had access to prescription prescribing and renewal data before the transition. Heidi Liston, CEO of the New Brunswick Pharmacists' Association, told CTV News that the association was not meaningfully consulted before the new service launched. She said involving pharmacists earlier could have helped establish referral pathways and identify barriers that prevent pharmacists from supporting patients more effectively. Despite criticism of the rollout, Dr. Dornan said the province is not considering other options and remains confident Foundever will meet its obligations.“I’m not worried,” said Dr. Dornan. “They will complete that contract. . . . We expect them to deliver.”

People are swarming pharmacies for help with prescription renewal as N.B. promises to fix rocky virtual care rollout

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