WINNIPEG -- WINNIPEG -- A Winnipeg senior is questioning the provincial government’s recent move to limit the amount of medication a person can buy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dave Magrel wont be able to pick up 90-days worth of his wife’s life-saving medication like usual, instead he’ll have to leave his house three times and pay almost $1,000 more to get it.

On Friday afternoon, Dr. Brent Roussin, Manitoba’s chief provincial public health officer, called for pharmacies to limit prescriptions given to clients to a one-month supply to avoid stockpiling.

Magrel, at almost 80 years old, said the decision has left him with a multitude of problems.

“How can you stockpile medication if the most you can order at any given time is three months worth,” asked Magrel.

FRONTING THE COST

Magrel said his Pharmacare plan has enough time for one more purchase before receiving his deductible in April.

Since Magrel can only buy 30-days worth of the prescription, he can’t expense 90-days worth of medication before his deductible like usual, a common thing people on Pharmacare do.

Only being able to purchase one month of medication before the deductible, Magrel will have to front the cost of two months worth of medication for months longer than originally planned.

Magrel claims the drug costs $433 each month, meaning he’ll be fronting almost $1,000 until next April because of the new limit.

Magrel said he’ll also have to pay for more dispensing fees on top of the already high price of the medication.

Dispensing fees are paid each time a prescription is filled out, which can cost up to $30. When ordering three times the amount of your medication, you effectively avoid paying the dispensing fee two times.

Dispensing fees are mandated by the government and pharmacies have been trying to keep the cost down.

“We recognize that limiting the supply means that some Manitobans might be subject to additional dispensing fees, however, maintaining the drug supply is the primary goal at this time,” said a provincial spokesperson in a statement to CTV.

LEAVING THE HOUSE MORE

On top of paying more, Magrel is worried about leaving his house two more times than previously planned.

“Instead of picking up the prescription once, they’re making me go out three times,” said Magrel.

“They’re subjecting me, a 78-year-old, they’re exposing me to a virus that is possibly deadly to me.”

He said he knows some pharmacies deliver, but the drug is 30 per cent cheaper at Costco, which doesn’t.

Magrel said the 30 day limit wouldn’t be terrible if it exempted seniors.

“It wouldn’t have been bad if they said anyone 65 or over, the restriction won’t apply,” he said.

Magrel sent a letter explaining his predicament to Roussin.

The prescription limit was just one of many changes listed when the Manitoba government declared a state of emergency.

READ MORE: Manitoba declares state of emergency amid COVID-19 pandemic

Correction:

Correction: The article originally stated Magrel would pay out of pocket for two months instead of only fronting the cost until the next deductible.