N.B. promises faster prescription renewals after complaints about Virtual CareNB

New Brunswickers seeking prescription renewals through the new virtual care system will soon have easier options, Health Minister John Dornan has announced.

N.B. promises faster prescription renewals after complaints about Virtual CareNB Health minister admits rollout of new virtual service could be improved The New Brunswick government is promising to make prescription renewals easier through Virtual CareNB after widespread complaints from patients who faced delays obtaining routine medications following the launch of the new system last month. Health Minister John Dornan announced at a Wednesday news conference that the province will introduce an online prescription renewal option and a dedicated Tele-Care 811 menu for renewals, acknowledging the province underestimated demand for the service.

“We have heard clearly [from] New Brunswickers that prescription renewals are an area where improvements are needed and we are working hard toward implementing such solutions,” Dornan said. “We know that Tele-Care 811 has not been working as well as it should be for some people seeking prescription renewals. We are changing that path.”

Last week, CBC News spoke to patients who said prescription renewals were taking much longer to complete following the launch of Virtual CareNB on June 30. Dornan said the department simply didn’t anticipate how many people were using the service for renewals, but admitted it could have been foreseen given how many New Brunswickers are without a primary care provider. He said virtual care is a good avenue for prescription renewal in some cases, but urged people who have a primary health-care provider to go there or to pharmacists instead of relying on virtual care.

Dornan also said the pharmacy association should have been more involved in the process. “Had we known there were going to be so many prescription renewals, we would have involved them more ... and we endeavour to do that moving forward,” he said.

He said an online prescription renewal option will be added, as well as a new renewal menu option for Tele-Care 811. “This improvement will help improve the patient experience while protecting the 811 registered nurses queue for priority calls,” Dornan said. He added that the department would collaborate with the New Brunswick College of Pharmacists and the New Brunswick Pharmacists’ Association to “identify and break down barriers” that prevent pharmacists from renewing prescriptions.

Asked what percentage of call volume has been for prescription renewals, Dornan said the department would provide exact figures, “but we know it was more than we anticipated.” He added that the department didn’t have data from the previous provider about this, and reiterated that people with primary care providers should be using them instead. “Many people were using the old virtual care provider instead of their doctor or nurse practitioner.

They should have been going there in the first place,” Dornan said. He also urged people to plan ahead. “Don’t wait until 12 o’clock on Sunday night to realize that your prescription’s not available tomorrow morning," he said.

With files from Allyson McCormack