Bill 79: Fair Drug Pricing Act (amended)

This bill primarily affects pharmacies and pharmacy operators in Nova Scotia who dispense medications to seniors under the Seniors' Pharmacare Program. Day-to-day billing and point-of-sale processes would need to be updated so that no copayment is collected from enrolled seniors and no late enrolment penalties are applied. Independent pharmacies and small pharmacy chains would be most directly impacted, as their staff handle program billing and patient charges at the counter. The financial impact on pharmacy businesses is indirect — they would no longer collect copayments from this group — but reimbursement changes would flow through the provincial program rather than creating a direct revenue loss for most operators.