If you take prescription medications in Canada and do not have health insurance with your employer, our post will save you some money.
It will be a surprise to some readers that some private insurance does not cover all of the prescription drug dispensing fees – depending on the plan.
We found that the lowest cost drug dispensing fees in Canada are at Costco.
You may be saying well, I don’t have a Costco membership.
Did you know that you don’t have to be a Costco member to buy your drugs there.
Pharmacists are required by law to dispense medications equitably to everyone (to require membership would be discrimination).
Simply stroll in and advise the Costco greeter/gatekeeper that they are heading to the pharmacy. No problem.
If you do not have a Costco membership, remember, you can only buy prescriptions at Costco. Over-the-counter medications, vitamin supplements, beauty products, and other items in the pharmacy area are off-limits.
To see just how much you can save by purchasing drug prescriptions at Costco, check out this comparative table of the dispensing fees of several pharmacies in British Columbia (assuming prices are similar across Canada).
| Store | Drug Dispensing Fee |
|---|---|
| The above data is current as of March 8, 2012 | |
| Costco | $4.46 |
| Pharma Plus / Medicine Shoppe | $9.49 |
| Zellers | $9.54 |
| Save On Foods | $9.58 |
| Overwaitea | $9.62 |
| London Drugs | $9.62 |
| Wal Mart | $9.63 |
| Safeway | $10.54 |
| Peoples | $10.58 |
| Shoppers Drug Mart/Pharmaprix | $10.72 |
| Pharmasave | $10.86 |
| Average | $9.51 |
| Maximum | $10.86 |
| Minimum | $4.46 |
| Median | $9.62 |
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16 Comments
Just moved to Canada from USA. Cannot believe Pharmacies charge dispensing fee. Outrageous. The markup on drugs is so high, there really is no need to gouge the public, other than simple greed. I paid an $11.99 fee for a $7.00 drug. There is something far wrong with this picture. Canadians should complain big time!
Heather, how is it different for drug dispensing fees in the US?
Heather. That is how pharmacies make money. If a dispensing fee is not charged then the medication would be provided free of charge. With pharmacy there is a very large overhead. To say pharmacies are robbing you blind is inaccurate.
Please also note that dispensing fees can also vary depending how how much the drug actually costs.
Also if you have insurance through work or you pay on your own: 1) some plans have a dispensing fee cap (the company will only pay up to a certain dollar amount) 2) If the dispensing fee is not listed, the company will use the average cost for the province or company where you pruchased the drug through.
I would suggest if you have a dispensing fee cap to make sure your pharmacy or pharmacist includes the dispension fee on your prescription.
Thank you! This information is very helpful. I alwas felt all the stores here in vancouver are in aliance to charge similar high dispensing fees, but never thought of trying Costco even though I have membership. I will definitely head there tomorrow to fill a prescription I got today.
Another cheap fee is loblaw pharmacy in the Joti’s No Frills on west broadway. It’s 6.99 plus you get 4% back on grocery coupons. You can use coupons at the store or Superstore .
Thanks for the information posted, Steven. It is really helpful. I always go to Walmart, the dispensing fee here in Toronto is $9.97. But from now on, I will go to Costco.
No problem! Glad we can help save some money.
Shoppers dispensing fee in Winnipeg, MB is $12 so I don’t understand why the dispensing fee for Lois in Regina would be so low. Shoppers is the one of the most highest in terms of dispensing fees.
Dispensing fee at superstore in Vancouver, BC is 9.99
Where did you get your Safeway price? I filled a prescription at the end of February and it was $11 for dispensing.
Deanna,
That was the price in Victoria, BC. It is possible it fluctuates among provinces.
I don’t know where you got your numbers from. I have my prescriptions filled at Shoppers Drug mart in Regina, SK. My dispensing fee is $4.00. So I don’t know where you found $10.73>
Lois, I found the information here for your province (https://www.merconbenefits.com/home/documents/MeritTalk_MayJun_CAN.pdf).
Perhaps Shoppers Drug Mart in your province has lowered the dispensing fees recently?
i do not see super store or sobeys why not?
Samantha, in Victoria we only have 1 Superstore in the suburbs but their prices would be close to average.
We also do not have Sobeys on Vancouver Island.