Letter to the Editor – Medical Arts Pharmacy – Matthew Dubois – December 3, 2009

Oderous to the Extreme!

I just read some news about a local pharmacy, Medical Arts, losing a nursing home contract to an outside competitor. Something about how this went down makes me hold my nose.

The reason given to change providers was that a very successful 50 year old established business did not meet recent changes to certification and accreditation to handle nursing homes in Ontario. If this is the case, why is this pharmacy doing fine with many other nursing homes in the area?

Something smells.

If this is the case, why was this established business not given a chance to get the proper accreditation?
Something smells.

As I mentioned, this pharmacy had been operating in Cornwall for 50 years and has always been fully certified and accreditated by Ontario and Federal agencies. Why is this not good enough for this particular nursing home?
Something smells.

Medical Arts offered 24 hour emergency service. The new competitor doesn’t. The slack is being taken up by a local grocery store pharmacy. Does this grocey store pharmacy have better credentials then a local established business? Shouldn’t it conform to the same set of rules as the other pharmacies?
Something smells.

From what I have seen in the media, Medical Arts makes substantial donations to the community. Does this out side competitor?
Something smells.

Medical Arts is a local company so all their profits and salary are being pumped back into Cornwall. If you have any business sense or know the health industry, you know that’s a BIG chunk of change. Can Cornwall afford to lose that income and the fall out as that money drys up from circulating in the local economy.
Something smells.

It was mentioned that the residents and the physicians at the nursing home were not consulted since it was none of their business. Having their children and grand children lose their jobs as that money stops circulating in the community IS their concern!
Something smells.

Times are tough. if this competitor offered better prices, nobody could fault the nursing home for wanting a better deal. But that’s not the reason given.
Something smells.

When the nursing home administrator was asked why the the contract had to be transfered, she was “vague”.
Something smells.

If you know how a business works, you know that something isn’t quite right.

With this much money in the communtity at stake, shouldn’t the nursing home be asked to `Prove’ how Medical Arts doesn’t measure up and give them a fair chance to show their papers. Lets open the window for some fresh air on this deal.

Matthew Dubois
Cornwall, ON

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3 Comments

  1. Author

    Thank you for your letter Mr. Dubois. We’re going to be doing a story on this very issue shortly.

  2. Didn’t you figure it out yet, that this is the new way that general politics are handled (rather mishandled) around here. Say one thing to get into power. Do another thing, or nothing in some cases, after. All against the will of the people that this most adversely effects. And in the end, its usually about someone’s greed or stupidity.

    Shame on the home for what they did to the residents.

    If the pharmacy is re-hired again, they should charge more to this home, since obviously the home doesn’t appreciate what they had!

  3. Something smells? The correct terminology would be that something STINKS! In this world (read Fiberal province) it would seem that payoff’s run rampant. It’s the sense of “entitlement”. Who pays for this? The residents of the home pay for it out of their meager finances. If I were a resident of that nursing home, I’d move elsewhere just to show them that you can fool some of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time! Get real!

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