Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada and McKesson Canada create specialty pharmacy network
TORONTO - Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada on Tuesday entered into a strategic business relationship with McKesson Canada to launch the Sun Life Preferred Pharmacy Network.
"As the leading insurance provider of group benefits, employers are turning to Sun Life to help manage the rising costs of their employee benefits plans and maintain the value of their plan," said Stuart Monteith, SVP Group Benefits, Sun Life Financial Canada. "Through this strategic business relationship with McKesson Canada, we are able to help employers sustain their drug plans."
"We have always believed that patients are best served in their communities by the professional care most accessible to them: their pharmacist," said Alain Champagne, president McKesson Canada. "Our company services the largest number of pharmacies in Canada, through which Sun Life has established its preferred pharmacy network. Sun Life plan members can access their specialty medication through the network while benefitting from numerous health-related services that can have a positive impact on their overall health and wellbeing."
Comprised of more than 1,500 pharmacies across Canada, outside Quebec, this network will help employers and their employees manage the increasing claim costs of specialty medications. Sun Life plan members will benefit from reduced overall claim costs on specialty drugs and have access to medication counselling, home delivery of prescriptions and chronic disease management programs, such as those focused on diabetes, where available.
The Sun Life Preferred Pharmacy Network will be available to employees who are covered under a Sun Life benefits plan and use their pay direct drug card to purchase specialty medications. These are drugs that can treat select conditions such as cancer, rheumatoid arthritis and hepatitis C.
Plan members will have access to a dedicated website and telephone line to find a participating pharmacy in their community that carries their medication and learn more about the additional services offered through McKesson Canada and the participating pharmacies.
"The Sun Life Preferred Pharmacy Network creates a unique opportunity to build on the value pharmacists can bring in delivering personalized client-centered services," added Mark Rolnick, assistant VP product development, group benefits, Sun Life Financial Canada. "When our customers visit a participating pharmacy, they will be helped by experienced pharmacists who can provide support to manage chronic diseases and improve their overall health."