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TORONTO - Health Minister Deb Matthews says she doesn't often get angry.
But Matthews was fuming Friday over a Shoppers Drug Mart flyer, saying it targets people on the Ontario Drug Benefit plan.
She says it raises the fear they'll get a lower tier of service if the province proceeds with generic drug reforms.
"Those are the most vulnerable people in Ontario -- those are seniors, those are people with disabilities, people on social assistance," Matthews said. "And for Shoppers to threaten to treat them differently than their other customers I think is absolutely shameful. I don't get this mad very often. But I'm outraged."
The source of her anger is a flyer entitled "Your Pharmacy Services At Risk ... Quick Facts about your Ontario Drug Benefit Program" that Shoppers has distributed to customers.
It says the ODB program severely underfunds pharmacies and that service cuts are possible if the province bans professional allowances -- $750 million annually that generic drug companies give to drug stores.
The government says the allowances drive up the price of generic drugs.
Tammy Smitham, a spokesman for Shoppers, says the flyer warns patients and customers about possible cuts.
Since seniors are among the most frequent users of pharmacists, and their drug costs are usually covered by ODB, the notice speaks particularly to them, Smitham said.
Two services commonly used by seniors -- blister packs for multiple drugs and free prescription delivery -- will no longer be funded if the allowances are stopped, she said.
"These are two key services that the government used to fund through professional allowances. And as a result of the removal of these funds, these services are in jeopardy," Smitham said.
However, Shoppers isn't planning to create two-tiered service for ODB clients and everyone else, she said. Any cuts to service will apply to all customers.