It would appear to be a particularly inopportune moment to seek more money, especially from a populace that seems in no mood to shell out more cash for an establishment that appears to have lost control over the economy, judging by the blood-letting taking place just south of the border, and increasingly threatening to spill over into our own comfort zone.

But Ben Shenouda says they've now been left with no choice. He is, in fact, "very concerned about the future of pharmacists in Ontario".

As president of the Independent Pharmacists of Ontario, one might justifiably assume Shenouda might be forgiven for thinking the way he does. But then Nadine Saby, president and CEO of the Canadian Association of Chain Drug Stores, backs Shenouda's claim, as does Dennis Darby, CEO of the Ontario Pharmacists' Association.

One could further argue they're all birds of the same featherâ?¦ and they are. But pharmacists have been complaining about the issue for two years now, and have trotted out various studies to validate their claims. Further, given the dearth of health care professional in Ontario, it is the corner drugstore pharmacist who's today playing a key role in providing health care to patients- some might argue an even bigger role than the patient's doctor.

What pharmacists are saying is simple: the average cost of dispensing prescription drugs and providing pharmacy services to patients is $14.93 per prescription, while the current dispensing fee set is only half that, estimated variously from $7 to $8.70.

"Independent pharmacists are well aware of the fact that government-set dispensing fees have been too low for a long time now, and in fact have been decreasing annually when inflation is factored in," Shenouda told SA Focus.

"As independents, we are even more vulnerable to this funding gap, since on average the dispensary counter accounts for 90 per cent of our business."

He indicated the disparity is being made up by the volume discounts pharmacies get when they place bulk orders, especially for generic drugs- but steadily rising costs are continuing to steadily erode profit margins.

He agreed there might be misconceptions among the public that since pharmacies are part of the health care industry- which people assume makes pots of money- the drug stores too are profiteering at the expense of patients.

"But we're actually not asking for more, only what's fair," Shenouda said.

Saby of CACDS said in a statement: "We need to work closely with government to find the innovative and alternative solutions that will ensure the sustainability of patient care and community pharmacy in Canada."

Pointed out Darby of OPA: "Community pharmacists have enormous potential to provide an even broader range of much needed services to improve the health of patients."

Community pharmacists are considered the most accessible of all primary health care practitioners: they assist patients with complicated medication regimes, monitor for drug interactions, and provide chronic disease prevention and management services in collaboration with caregivers, physicians and other health care providers.

Shenouda estimated there are around 3,000 pharmacies in Ontario- of whom 1,300 are independent- that sell drugs worth $1.7 billion to $1.9 billion every year. An overwhelming majority of the pharmacies- around 75-80 per cent- are concentrated in the GTA area.

Whatever the merits of the case the retail pharmaceutical industry has been pitching, patients however didn't appear to be willing to buy into it. "The 'dispensing fee' itself is a con- why does a pharmacist need to be paid to dish out the drug?" asked a patient. "After all, isn't that his job?"

That appeared to be the prevailing sentiment.