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EDMONTON — Albertans with stable chronic conditions will soon be able to get longer prescription refills and access expanded pharmacy services under a new agreement between the provincial government and the Alberta Pharmacists’ Association.
The three-year framework is aimed at making pharmacy care more convenient and accessible while reducing repeat visits for patients.
Under the agreement, Albertans with stable, chronic conditions will be eligible to receive up to a 100-day supply of medication, allowing them to make fewer trips to the pharmacy and reducing associated costs.
The province says select pharmacies in rural and remote communities will also begin offering expanded services this fall through pilot projects, including health screenings, point-of-care testing and assessments for certain acute conditions.
Health officials say the changes are intended to improve access to care closer to home, particularly in communities where residents may face longer travel times to access health services.
“This agreement is about practical results: fewer trips, better access and more care closer to home,” Primary and Preventative Health Services Minister Justin Wright said in a statement.
The agreement also introduces a new compensation model for pharmacists working in specialized settings such as continuing care, allowing them to provide additional clinical services beyond traditional prescription dispensing.
The province said authorized prescribers in some rural, remote and Indigenous communities will also be able to maintain limited supplies of addiction treatment medications for urgent situations.
The deal includes a three per cent increase in pharmacy compensation in each of the first two years. Dispensing fees will also increase for the first time in more than a decade, rising from $12.15 to $12.35 for prescriptions under 84 days and to $13.50 for prescriptions lasting 84 days or longer.
The government says approximately 1.8 million Albertans accessed clinical pharmacy services in 2025-26, an increase of 88 per cent compared with 2018-19.
Alberta has 4,622 community pharmacists and 1,769 community pharmacies, with about 99 per cent of residents living within 50 kilometres of a pharmacy.
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