30-day prescription refills more common in Quebec

Pharmacists in Quebec tend to renew prescription medications for a 30-day supply, unlike in other provinces where the duration is typically longer.

Quebec has both the highest number of reimbursement claims per claimant in Canada and the lowest average eligible amount per claim, according to the 2026 Drug Data Trends & National Benchmarks report by TELUS Health.

Data from this overview show that the average number of claims per insured individual in Quebec reached 17.51 ​​in 2025, compared to 12.2 for Canada as a whole.

At $77.43, the average eligible amount per claim in Quebec is the lowest of any Canadian province; the Canadian average is $88.24. Conversely, the average annual eligible amount per claimant is higher in Quebec than elsewhere in Canada—$1,355.25, compared to a Canadian average of $1,079.04.

This is because pharmacies in Quebec generally provide only 30-day refills for medications used to treat chronic conditions, whereas pharmacies in other provinces typically provide 60- or 90-day refills, TELUS Health explains regarding the higher figures for Quebec.

The 2026 Express Scripts Canada Drug Trend Report sheds further light on this trend. According to the report, the average days’ supply per prescription claim reached 28.5 in Quebec, compared to 40.7 in the rest of Canada.

Meanwhile, the number of claims per claimant stood at 19.5 in Quebec, versus 12.6 elsewhere in the country. Spending per claimant reached $1,290 in Quebec, compared to $943 in the rest of Canada.

“In Quebec, medications are often dispensed for shorter periods.” – Lyne Duhaime

When asked to comment on this trend, the Quebec branch of the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association (CLHIA)—known as CLHIA Quebec—confirmed that it also observes this pattern.

“In Quebec, medications are often dispensed for shorter periods than in many other Canadian provinces. This practice results in a higher number of refills and, consequently, a greater number of claims,” stated Lyne Duhaime, president of CLHIA Quebec, in an email to the Insurance Journal.

Duhaime, who also serves as Senior Vice-President, Market Conduct Policy and Regulation at the CLHIA, added that several factors may influence this practice, “notably the protocols for the clinical monitoring of patients and certain specific characteristics of the Quebec pharmacy market.”

In a written response, Beneva echoed the perspective of CLHIA Quebec. According to spokesperson Lyann St-Hilaire, there is a "culture of more frequent follow-ups" with pharmacists. "Elsewhere in Canada, 60- or 90-day refills are often more common for stable, chronic conditions," adds St-Hilaire.

Significant savings

Lyne Duhaime notes that her members encourage longer-duration supplies whenever a patient’s clinical situation allows. "These can help improve the efficiency of drug benefit plans and allow policyholders to save on the cost of their medications," she points out.

She explains that the savings stem primarily from a reduction in the number of refills—"specifically due to the professional fees associated with dispensing prescriptions and certain administrative costs linked to processing claims." She clarifies that the cost of the medication itself remains the same for a given quantity of treatment.

An inquiry made by the Insurance Journal to a local pharmacy—chosen at random on the Island of Montreal—revealed the extent of the savings achieved with a three-month prescription, compared to the cost of a one-month prescription filled three times.

We examined the case of a claim submitted to a private insurance plan for a 40-milligram daily dose of a generic atorvastatin-based medication, used to lower blood cholesterol levels. Only the professional dispensing fees are reduced. It drops from $31—for a monthly prescription filled three separate times—to $21 for a three-month prescription. The fees are thus 32% lower than those charged for three monthly prescriptions, a savings of $10.

The price of the medication ($21.08) and the distributor’s margin ($1.37) remain the same. The $10 reduction in professional fees brings the total cost down from $53.45 for three monthly prescriptions to $43.45 for a single three-month prescription—a decrease of 19%.

When contacted by email, the Association québécoise des pharmaciens propriétaires (AQPP) —the Quebec association of pharmacy owners—acknowledged that there may be “some price variation when a three-month supply is provided to a patient covered by a private insurance plan, though this is generally quite minor.”

Spokesperson Marilie Beaulieu-Gravel explains that a pharmacist’s professional fees cover pharmaceutical consultation, the preparation and verification of the medication, ongoing pharmacy operating expenses, professional liability, and the monitoring of the patient’s therapy throughout the duration of the treatment. As for the average savings that a three-month prescription might yield across Quebec’s pharmacy network? According to the spokesperson, the AQPP does not have this information.

The response from CLHIA Quebec is similar. Lyne Duhaime states that they do not have data that would allow for a precise calculation of the savings associated with 60- or 90-day prescriptions compared to monthly refills.

In its 2025 Cost Drivers Report, published in October of that same year, Innovative Medicines Canada analyzes trends in claims made through private drug insurance plans in Canada. The association also notes the savings that result from a three-month prescription. The association states that it represents Canada’s innovative pharmaceutical industry—that is, the sector that produces brand-name (original) drugs.

It estimates that increasing the number of days’ supply could result in savings of up to 37% on average daily treatment costs. In its report, Innovative Medicines Canada clarifies that this figure is an average based on low-cost medications used to treat chronic conditions.

The organization explains that it calculated the maximum potential savings by modeling the daily cost of three separate 30-day prescription claims versus a single 90-day prescription claim. The daily cost includes both the price of the medication and the prescription-filling fees (professional fees).

Provincial differences

Lyne Duhaime explains that, compared to other Canadian provinces, insurers in Quebec have relatively limited levers for controlling pharmaceutical costs—specifically regarding the duration of prescriptions.

“The CLHIA has long supported measures that promote the optimal use of resources, while safeguarding access to treatment and the quality of care,” says the president of CLHIA Quebec. She adds that she continues to engage in discussions “with various stakeholders in the sector to identify solutions that can improve the system’s efficiency.”

At the AQPP, Marilie Beaulieu-Gravel points out that the practices of Quebec’s health insurance board, the Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ), influence the practices of its members. “Under the RAMQ, deductibles and co-insurance are paid by the patient on a monthly basis, which creates a system that tends to organize workflows around a monthly cycle,” she says. She explains that a patient requesting a three-month prescription will pay the pharmacist’s professional fee to the RAMQ three separate times—once for each month. “This may offer a clue as to why a 28.5-day dispensing cycle is favored in Quebec,” she says, referring to data reported by Express Scripts Canada.

In a section of its website dedicated to the cost of medication, the RAMQ addresses the question, “Can I purchase medication for more than one month?” by stating: “Yes. You must pay the deductible and coinsurance for each month covered by your purchase at the time of the transaction.”