November 1, 2021
For business owners, plan administrators, and sponsors
We’ve teamed up with Shoppers Drug Mart Corporation to deliver a medical marijuana program that gives you a controlled, responsible and caring way to support your members who are suffering from chronic pain, discomfort and other serious ailments.
Guidance from Shoppers Drug Mart Health Care Professionals
Through our unique partnership, specially trained pharmacists at the Shoppers Drug Mart patient care centre will offer your plan members, who have been approved for medical marijuana coverage, the guidance they need to have confidence in their choice of treatment. They will advise on the different strains of medical marijuana and the different ways to take it. Based on this support, plan members can choose the treatment that best meets their needs and is covered under their benefits plan.
Members will get ongoing case management from Shoppers Drug Mart’s patient care centre, tailored to fit their individual needs. They’ll have access to education, regular check-ins, counselling, and phone and email support. Online billing support is also coming soon. When it’s available, members won’t have to pay up-front for medical marijuana expenses that are covered through the program.
Supporting the needs of both you and your members
We’ll provide claims controls. Any request for coverage will go through our prior authorization process. This helps you know certain criteria have been met before the drug is approved for coverage.
Doctors may recommend medical marijuana for a variety of reasons. Our program approval process is based on covering conditions where evidence supports its use, including
- stiffness and involuntary muscle spasms in patients suffering from Multiple Sclerosis,
- nausea and vomiting in patients undergoing chemotherapy, and
- chronic neuropathic pain.
The medical industry is still learning about potential uses for medical marijuana. The list of conditions it can help may change in the future.
Approved claims will be covered as a drug benefit – and we’ll work with you to set coverage limits that work for both you and your members.
We’ll also give you information to help you make informed policy decisions about medical marijuana in the workplace.
Available to add to your plan now
You can choose to make the medical marijuana program available to your plan members by adding it to your benefits plan. It’s available to you now.
The program will be available to members of participating plans starting in September.
Talk to your Manulife representative for more information, or to add the program to your benefits plan.
In the meantime, read the FAQ, which includes with more information about medical marijuana, Health Canada’s Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations, and our medical marijuana program.