FAQ

ARTA leadership identifies that a plan sponsored pharmacy (ARTARx) supports key strategic priorities highlighted in ARTA membership surveys.

• Revenue from the pharmacy improves the overall value of ARTA benefit plans.
• Through the pharmacy, ARTA offers competitive pricing on over-the-counter medications, vitamins, supplements, and home health care products.
• Alberta pharmacists have the broadest scope of practice in Canada. They are key healthcare professionals who support our members in managing their chronic health conditions. Pharmacists:
  • Contribute to ARTA’s Health and Wellness programming.
  • Perform clinical services like medication assessments, care plan development, immunization services, travel health clinics.
  • Assist members with medication coverage requirements, special authorization, step therapy and more.

ARTARx is licensed as a community pharmacy by the Alberta College of Pharmacy (ACP). The ACP is the regulatory body for pharmacy in Alberta; our license limits the provision of pharmacy services to residents within a defined pharmacy service zone who are able to attend regular in-person visits with the pharmacy and its registered professionals.

ARTA is actively investigating opportunities for future expansion to other cities, and eventually, other provinces.

ARTARx has one shareholder, ARTA. With this ownership model, all income generated from ARTARx becomes additional revenue for the ARTA organization. This income will offset the rising cost of health coverage, as well as improve benefit offerings and plan sustainability.

The pharmacy is led by Daniel Mulloy, the CEO of ARTA. Support will be provided by ARTA’s Director of Pharmacy Services – Yatin Patel. The license is held by the pharmacy manager, Darren Tardif.

ARTARx’s pharmacy is located at the ARTA head office space in Edmonton, located at 15505 – 137 Avenue NW. This location was chosen as approximately 40% of ARTA prescription claims are from the Greater Edmonton Area.

• The pharmacy provides more targeted clinical support to ARTA members, as well as members of the general public. ARTARx pharmacists are able to discuss medication options with members, as well as monitor and assist with their health care goals.
• Profits from the pharmacy are directly injected back into ARTA, which as a non-profit organization, will use the profits to ensure the sustainability of the organization and its services as a whole.
• ARTARx offers compliance pouch packaging to help organize your medications, vitamins, and supplements.
• Vaccinations are available through the ARTARx pharmacy.
• Preferred pricing on over-the-counter (OTC) medications, vitamins, supplements, and home healthcare products.
• Special pricing and health programming for diabetes testing supplies, including education and assistance from regulated pharmacy staff.

We’d love for you to visit us and drop off your prescriptions at the pharmacy, or:

• A new prescription from your doctor can be sent directly from the physician’s office to ARTARx by fax. You could instead mail the hard copy to the ARTARx pharmacy, but this will take extra time.
• You can transfer your existing prescriptions (with refills) from your current pharmacy.
• ARTARx is unable to accept photographed, scanned, or emailed copies of prescriptions. These do not fall under the approved prescription hard-copy regulations set forth by ACP. If you find yourself in possession of a prescription hard copy and are having trouble finding a way to get this information to ARTARx, please contact us and we can assist in finding a solution

If the triplicate is for an acute (short-term) medication, it would be easiest to drop off the prescription at ARTARx directly for immediate filling.

If your triplicate is for chronic-use medication, it would be best to have the physician fax the triplicate directly to ARTARx. This will ensure it reaches the pharmacy within the 72-hour time window, and can be saved on your file until the refill is needed.

When your prescriptions are ready, you will be notified they are ready for pick up in-person. If you are unable to travel to the pharmacy, patients that maintain an ongoing in-person relationship at ARTARx may be eligible for free local delivery within the Edmonton greater area. Please contact the pharmacy for further information.

The ARTARx pharmacy team can provide medication synchronization services – assisting members to have their maintenance medications all filled at the same time. Medication synchronization can also be done with a spouse or partner, allowing both members to receive their medications together.

The medication synchronization process can take a couple of refills to line up completely – please ask the ARTARx staff for more information.

ARTARx pharmacy staff will work with our patients to create regular intervals when refills would be due.

We have a workflow that anticipates the need for your refills in advance by a few weeks. We will contact you and ensure no changes to your medications have been made and schedule a pick-up or delivery date for your medications in advance so that you do not run out of your long-term use medications.

Reminder pouches can be added to unit dose packaging to remind members to contact the pharmacy for refills, whether through phone, website, or mobile app.

ARTARx pharmacists have the ability to renew maintenance medication prescriptions. In the case that your medications are out of refills, a pharmacist can perform an assessment to ensure the medication is indicated, safe, and effective, and then write a prescription for you to continue treatment.

Pharmacy staff can also contact your doctor for refills of your medications via fax, provided your doctor’s office permits fax renewals.

ARTARx can supply your medications in a quantity that fits your needs and is therapeutically appropriate.

For most maintenance medications, a three-month supply can be given out each time.

If you have new medications, or possible changes to your medication regimen, a one-month supply may be more appropriate until the dose is stabilized.

If your doctor has prescribed weekly or daily dosing of maintenance medications, please contact a member of the ARTARx pharmacy to work out a strategy that is convenient and appropriate.

For members travelling for an extended period of time, a travel supply of up to six months can be provided.

ARTARx is leveraging the services of noissue to bring deliveries to your door with minimal ecological impact. Our packing tissue is acid-free and 100% biodegradable. Delivery boxes are 100% recyclable and compostable.

PACMED packaging is made from a combination of two recyclable materials*.

To compare, one 30-dram vial with cap is 20.4g of plastic. Thirty-one of ARTARx’s PACMED unit-dose pouches are only 13.6g of plastic*.

*Data from McKesson, supplier of PACMED and associated packaging 

You can request the pharmacy staff submit coverage for a vacation supply of your medication before you leave. You can ask an ARTA member services agent for further clarification.

ARTARx stocks these medications regularly, and they can be dispensed out to patients like any other OTC medications. Our pharmacists can also assist with preparation and advice.

Yes, ARTARx works with a local compounding laboratory to provide high-quality compounded medications. Compound eligibility will follow ARTA’s current policies.

ARTARx has access to many name brand medications through our regular supplier.

Brand medications are subject to something called ‘least cost alternative’ (LCA) pricing. This means if you fill 100 capsules of brand name medication, the plan pays for the equivalent cost of 100 capsules of the generic, and passes the remaining cost onto you. This can be quite expensive to the patient.

Certain brand name medications have coverage assistance programs in place to help pay for the additional cost incurred by patients. These are at the discretion of the manufacturer, and subject to their terms and conditions.

ARTARx encourages members to discuss the benefits of generic medications with pharmacy staff.

Medications that require special authorization under ARTA coverage still require special authorization when dispensed by ARTARx. If you have concerns about the special authorization process, ARTARx staff can help.

ARTARx is sourcing products from pharmaceutical partners that adhere to the strict regulatory guidelines set by Health Canada. In Canada, the import of raw materials and the manufacturing of medicinal products from them are subject to very strict regulations.

Drug manufacturing is regulated by Health Canada under the federal Food and Drugs Act and the Food and Drug Regulations. These regulations ensure that any drug products manufactured and sold in Canada are safe, effective, and of high quality. Additionally, manufacturers must comply with Division 2 of Canada’s Good Manufacturing Processes (GMP). The GMP is an extensive document outlining the standards that drug manufacturers need to meet when making any medications.

With these regulations in place federally, we can be confident in the quality of medications we order from our distributor.