HR News and Notices

The following is a list of UNB Prescription Drug Maximum Reimbursement Program Participating Pharmacies. For additional information please check the UNB Human Resources website at:http://www.unb.ca/hr/services/documents/Revised2010Supplementaryhealthplan.pdf

FREDERICTON AREA

Atlantic Superstore Pharmacy
471 Smythe St.
Fredericton, NB
Phone: (506) 459-4190

Northside Pharmasave
231 Canada St.
Fredericton, NB
Phone: (506) 458-9550

Southside Pharmasave
640 Prospect St. West
Fredericton, NB
Phone: (506) 459-5698

Ross Drug
402 Queen St.
Fredericton, NB
Phone: (506) 458-9951

Ross Drug
206 Rookwood Ave.
Fredericton, NB
Phone: (506) 458-1187

Ross Drug
1128 Smythe St.
Fredericton, NB
Phone: (506) 458-1898

Wal-Mart Pharmacy
Regent Mall
1399 Regent St.
Fredericton, NB
Phone: (506) 452-0870

New Maryland Pharmacy
New Maryland Hwy. 101
New Maryland, NB
Phone: (506) 459-8787

Oromocto PharmaChoice
66 Broad Road
Oromocto, NB
Phone: (506) 357-9808

Medicine Shoppe
Fredericton Direct Charge Co-op
170 Doak Road
Fredericton, NB
(506) 453-1324

SAINT JOHN AREA

Atlantic Superstore Pharmacy
168 Rothesay Ave.
Saint John, NB
Phone: (506) 648-1330

Atlantic Superstore Pharmacy
Millidgeville Market
650 Somerset Street
Saint John, NB
Phone: (506) 658-6094

Supervalue Pharmacy
Lancaster Mall
621 Fairville Blvd
Saint John, NB
Phone: (506) 633-2420

Wal-Mart Pharmacy
450 Westmorland Road
Saint John, NB
Phone: (506) 634-6600

MONCTON AREA

Atlantic Superstore Pharmacy
175 Trinity Drive
Moncton, NB
Phone: (506) 383-4955

Wal-Mart Pharmacy
Champlain Place
477 Paul St.
Moncton, NB
Phone: (506) 855-6011

BATHURST AREA

Atlantic Superstore Pharmacy
700 St. Peter=s Ave.
Bathurst, NB
Phone: (506) 547-3199

Wal-Mart Pharmacy
Chaleur Centre
400 Route 430 Unit 14
Big River, NB
Phone: (506) 546-3672

March 2010

To facilitate timely and accurate processing of the employee/spouse/dependent tuition benefit, completed tuition benefit forms must be received in the human resources department by a specified date in each semester.

Deadline dates for 2009-2010 are as follows:

2009 Fall Term - September 28, 2009
2010 Winter Term – January 25, 2010
2010 Intersession - May 10, 2010
2010 Summer Session - July 9, 2010

It is each employee's responsibility to ensure the form is properly completed and submitted on time. Forms received after the cutoff date will not be processed resulting in the student being responsible for payment of the full cost of tuition.

HINI INFLUENZA

INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL GUIDLELINES
May 4, 2009
International Relations Office
AVPA (LE)

General Information

The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) is tracking clusters of severe respiratory illness linked to H1N1 influenza in Mexico. As of May 4, 2009, there are 101 confirmed cases in Canada, with one in New Brunswick. Deaths have been reported in Mexico and the United States. The World Health Organization has raised the Pandemic Alert to Level 5, the second highest level. At this level countries are required to activate their pandemic preparedness plans.

For more information, please see the PHAC Travel Health Warning.

http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/tmp-pmv/2009/hsf-mexico-090427-eng.php

Official Warning - Travel

An official warning has been issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada (DFAIT) against non-essential travel for Mexico. For additional information, please visit the Travel Report for Mexico.

http://www.voyage.gc.ca/countries_pays/report_rapport-eng.asp?id=184000

International Travel involving UNB

There is no central clearing house for programs involving international travel for UNB students, faculty and staff on UNB related business, study, or research. In light of the current situation it is prudent to develop some guidelines with respect to international travel.

The following guidelines are in place for the Fredericton campus.

1. A monitoring has been established consisting of Silke Klenk (IRO), Gerhard Dueck (IRO), Trevor Gonasson (Risk Management), Lana MacDonald (CEL), with power to add.

2. A travel moratorium is in place for any country for which Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada (DFAIT) has issued an official warning against non-essential travel or banned travel. This would currently include Mexico.

3. If deemed prudent, the travel moratorium could be extended to parts of individual countries. (Laval University has imposed a moratorium on travel to Texas and California.)

4. If there are UNB students/faculty/staff already in a country for which a travel advisory is issued, the monitoring team will assess the situation, including the appropriate consultation (e.g., DFAIT, local embassies, any partner agencies in the country), determine the appropriate course of action, and assist in its implementation.

5. All students/faculty/staff who choose to travel should register with DFAIT. Should the need arise, this registration service facilitates contacting Canadians in a foreign country.

6. Students who are scheduled to travel internationally as part of their academic program must be given the option to withdraw from this experience. There will be no academic penalty for withdrawing and reasonable flexibility will exercised to accommodate academic requirements.

7. Any unit that is responsible for programs or activities that involve international travel must review its pre-departure training and resource materials to ensure they provide information relevant to the H1N1 influenza situation.

As a member of the Pension Plan for Academic Employees of the University of New
Brunswick (the "Plan"), you will be following developments in the financial markets
and asking questions about their impact on the financial condition of the Plan and
therefore on the security of your benefits or contribution requirements.

The assets of the Pension Plan are currently invested in a diversified manner with
approximately 45% in fixed income securities, 27.5% in Canadian equities and
27.5% in foreign equities. The assets are managed by four independent investment
managers, to provide further diversification in investment approaches.

Current market conditions have negatively impacted financial markets in a broad and
deep manner. The financial condition of the Plan, like many other plans, has been
impacted negatively by these current global market conditions. With that said, if you
are a retired member currently receiving a monthly pension from the Plan, the
current conditions are not affecting the amount you receive every month.

If you are an active member contributing to the Plan, your contributions are not
expected to increase in the short term. The next time that the Plan is required to file
an actuarial valuation with the Province and consider the financial condition and
funding requirements of the Plan is no later than December 31, 2009 There are
mechanisms in place to help stabilize contributions over time. One of these
mechanisms is the Program to Improve Financial Position and Outlook of the Plan
that was negotiated by the Plan sponsors (UNB and AUNBT) in 2007 and
implemented following votes by the AUNBT membership and the UNB Board of
Governors . However, you should be aware that there are limits to the degree of
risks through which these mechanisms can effectively maintain contributions at the
present level.

Jointly, the Board of Trustees and the Plan Sponsors, with the help of their actuarial
and investment advisors are monitoring the situation closely and regularly in order to
assess the financial implications for the Plan on an ongoing basis. You will be kept
informed of any major developments.

On Behalf of the Plan Sponsors:
David Bell, President AUNBT
Dan Murray, VP(Finance & Corporate Services)

On behalf of the Board of Trustees:
Larry Guitard, Co-Chair
Norm Betts, Co-Chair

Date: October 23, 2008

A number of amendments to the PSSA were approved by the Legislative Assembly in April of this year.
The amendments reflect current requirements and limitations under the federal Income Tax Act and its Regulations. Registered pension plans, including the PSSA, must comply with the requirements of this federal legislation.
Most of the amendments are of a ‘housekeeping’ nature and will not affect you. One significant change, however, relates to pensionable service accumulated before 1992, with a former employer, for which you received a refund of contributions upon your termination of employment.
If you received a refund of pension contributions in respect of service performed and credited before 1992 from:
The New Brunswick Teachers’ Pension Act,The Government of Canada, A Public Service pension plan of another province or territory of Canada, or The New Brunswick Legislative Assembly (service as an elected MLA), you may presently purchase the service under the PSSA. Please note that the purchase of this type of service will no longer be permitted after December 31, 2008.
In other words, this is your last opportunity to have this service included as pensionable service in your current pension plan. Please do not delay. If you have any questions, please contact either Kevin Ring (kring@unb.ca) or Beth Lord (blord@unb.ca) at UNB Human Resources.
Applications to purchase service, accompanied by an official proof of previous plan participation, should be submitted as soon as possible for prompt processing.

Continue reading "PSSA Amendment - IMPORTANT MESSAGE"

To facilitate timely and accurate processing of the employee/spouse/dependent tuition benefit, completed tuition benefit forms must be received in the human resources department by a specified date in each semester.

A list of the deadline dates for 2008-2009 are as follows:

2008 Fall Term - September 24, 2008
2009 Winter Term - January 26, 2009
2009 Intersession - May 14, 2009
2009 Summer Session - July 14, 2009

It is each employee's responsibility to ensure the form is properly completed and submitted on time.

Forms received after the cutoff date will not be processed resulting in the student being responsible for payment of the full cost of tuition.

January 28, 2008

To: Members of the Academic Employees Pension Plan with pre-1993 Service

Subject: Window for Buying PSSA Past Pensionable Service (March 31, 2008 Deadline)

As you may be aware, prior to 1993 academic employees at the University of New Brunswick were members of the pension plan administered by the Province of New Brunswick through the Public Service Superannuation Act (PSSA). Effective January 1, 1993, UNB established its own pension plan, the Pension Plan for Academic Employees of the University of New Brunswick.

For a number of years after 1993, it was the practice of the Province to permit academic employees of UNB to purchase eligible past service prior to 1993 under the PSSA. However, the Province recently discontinued this practice for academic employees of UNB. UNB was not consulted on this change, which adversely affected a number of UNB academic employees. After careful consideration, it was agreed that UNB would approach the Province to request a reconsideration. UNB Vice-President (Finance and Corporate Services) Dan Murray wrote to the Province on November 19, 2007. He received a favourable reply from the Province in a letter dated January 8, 2008.

As a result, the Province of New Brunswick is offering a limited window of opportunity until March 31, 2008 for the members of the UNB academic employees pension plan to purchase eligible past service prior to 1993 under the PSSA. Applications to purchase pre-1993 service must be submitted to Kevin Ring, Human Resources & Organizational Development, UNB-F in sufficient time for him to review and complete the required documentation and forward it to the Province of New Brunswick in advance of the March 31, 2008 deadline.

For those members interested in purchasing eligible past service prior to 1993, the following types of pensionable service are eligible for purchase from the Province:

•refunded service: service for which a member has taken a refund from either the PSSA or the N.B. Teachers’ Pension Plan,
•authorized leave without pay (including maternity leaves): periods of approved leave without pay subject to maximums allowed under the Income Tax Act,
•prior non-contributory service: continuous full-time service in the public service immediately prior to becoming a contributor to the plan (e.g. probationary period of employment or full-time continuous service as a casual employee),
•military service: certain periods of active military service with the armed forces of Canada or her allies,
•MLA service: periods of service as a Member of the Legislative Assembly for which a member is not entitled to a pension under the Members’ Superannuation Act or the Members’ Pension Act, and
•refunded service from a government in Canada: periods of service with the Government of Canada or any Province or Territory of Canada (as specified in the PSSA) for which a member received a refund of contributions.

Note that the cost to purchase eligible past service will be based on the PSSA Plan’s contribution rates and the employee’s earnings at the date of election to purchase service (e.g., February or March 2008). There are a variety of options available to pay for repurchased past service. These options include payment by personal cheque, money order, or direct transfer of funds from an RRSP.

Members who elect to purchase past service must complete an application form, which can be obtained from Kevin Ring, Human Resources & Organizational Development, or downloaded from the following website: http://www.gnb.ca/0163/pension/7/purchase-service_form_PSSA.pdf. Documentary evidence supporting the period of employment for which the past service is requested must be attached to this application. Usually, a letter of offer or pay records from the Faculty or Department where the employee worked at the time will suffice.

Periods of service that occurred after 1989 (and prior to 1993, in this case) require approval from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) before the purchase can be permitted. The Compensation and Employee Benefits Branch, Office of Human Resources, Province of New Brunswick will automatically request approval from the CRA when a member’s election to purchase service is received.

If the period of service being applied for is eligible, the cost to purchase the service will be indicated on an offer prepared and sent to you by the Compensation and Employee Benefits Branch, Office of Human Resources, Province of New Brunswick. Please note that the process can take up to three months after an application is received.

Additional information about purchasing past service from the Province can be found in “FAQ’s About Pensions and Benefits” (http://www.gnb.ca/0163/pension/3/increase-e.asp). This site also includes useful information about how to estimate the cost of purchasing past service.

To inquire about purchasing eligible past service prior to 1993 with the Province of New Brunswick, or to submit an application form for consideration, contact Kevin Ring at Human Resources & Organizational Development (tel: 458-7679; e-mail: kring@unb.ca).

To facilitate timely and accurate processing of the employee/spouse/dependent tuition benefit, completed tuition benefit forms must be received in the human resources department by a specified date in each semester.

A list of the deadline dates for Winter 2008 are as follows:

2008 Winter Term - January 25, 2008
2008 Intersession - May 13, 2008
2008 Summer Session - July 11, 2008

It is each employee's responsibility to ensure the form is properly completed and submitted on time.

Forms received after the cutoff date will not be processed resulting in the student being responsible for payment of the full cost of tuition.

To facilitate timely and accurate processing of the employee/spouse/dependent tuition benefit, completed tuition benefit forms must be received in the human resources department by a specified date in each semester.

A list of the deadline dates for 2007/2008 are as follows:

2007 Fall Term - September 26, 2007
2008 Winter Term - January 25, 2008
2008 Intersession - May 13, 2008
2008 Summer Session - July 11, 2008

It is each employee's responsibility to ensure the form is properly completed and submitted on time.

Forms received after the cutoff date will not be processed resulting in the student being responsible for payment of the full cost of tuition.

UNB Human Resources wishes to advise employees that they can access the Overage Dependent Registration Form for 2007 on-line.

A dependent child who is a full-time student at a recognized institution of learning is eligible for coverage as an overage dependent from their 19th to 24th birthday under the employee’s Group Supplementary Health and/or Dental plan.

Please complete the overage dependent form and return it to Human Resources if:

a. You have a dependent child to be registered for overage dependent status under your Group Insurance plans.
OR
b. You have a dependent child who will be attaining age 19 during this Academic Year (Sept.1/07 to Aug. 31/08) and will be attending a recognized institution of learning on a full-time basis.

This form may be accessed at http://www.unb.ca/hr/employees/documents/OverageDependentForm.pdf
Please print the completed form and forward it to Human Resources by August 15, 2007.

Any questions, regarding this form, may be directed to Human Resources at 453-4648.

The University of New Brunswick launched its UNB Healthy Active Living Champions initiative this morning at the Fredericton campus. This important initiative, part of UNB’s effort to help New Brunswick become a healthy living province, celebrates individuals who have made healthy active living a priority.

“It’s important to be active, to be reasonably careful about our diet (although there are things I just can’t give up!) and generally treat wellness as a personal priority,” says UNB President, Dr. John McLaughlin, who was one of the nominees celebrated today. He explains that his motivation is partly professional, with a seven day a week job with lots of long engaged days in which sustained energy and stamina is essential. But it is also personal – having just turned 60, and soon to become a grandfather. “There is so much that Maggie and I still want to do, and we have got to be as healthy as possible, to accomplish our goals.”

UNB's Healthy Active Living Champions initiative celebrates the efforts and accomplishments of UNB faculty, staff and students who demonstrate their commitment to healthy active living. UNB strives to model healthy eating and active living in order to help build healthier communities at home and throughout the province. UNB endeavours to promote awareness about the benefits of healthy lifestyles through recognizing the university’s own healthy active living champions!

“We have to celebrate those who have already made healthy lifestyle choices, and encourage them to continue their efforts, says UNB professor and Director of the LEAP! clinic, Dr. Gabriela Tymowski, one of the creators of this program; “Research has shown that exposing others to excellent role models and mentors does help others change their behaviour, so this initiative is critical to developing new norms around healthy living.”

UNB's Healthy Active Living Champions are individuals who have been nominated by their peers as exemplifying healthy active living.

“The nomination process is easy and interactive from our website. We encourage the UNB community to recognize those individuals who make wellness a personal priority”, says HALC co-creator Nicola Cassidy, of Human Resources and a member of the Campus Wellness Committee.

The Healthy Active Living Champions are individuals have demonstrated their commitment through action and engagement over time to living an active lifestyle. They have and continue to walk, run, hike, ride, swim, ski, skate, participate in fitness classes, and otherwise take part in healthy living on a regular basis. They are role models for the UNB community and promote healthy active living as a priority and a sustainable way of life!
For more info click on the website: www.unbf.ca/healthy

On March 29, 2007, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc. complied with a request from Health Canada to suspend Canadian marketing and sales of Zelnorm® (tegaserod maleate) as a treatment for irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C) and chronic idiopathic constipation (CIC). The company’s decision, which was effective immediately, was based on the recently identified finding of an increased risk of serious heart problems associated with use of the drug.
Zelnorm® is a prescription medicine which was approved in 2002 for short-term treatment of irritable bowel syndrome with constipation. At that time, a small (but non-statistically significant) imbalance in cases of angina pectoris (chest pain due to a lack of blood supply to the heart) was recorded and included in the Canadian Product Monograph which is approved by Health Canada. However, a recent analysis has indicated an imbalance in the incidence of heart problems in patients taking Zelnorm® compared to those taking a placebo. Health Canada has concluded, based on this recent analysis, that for most patients the benefits of this drug no longer outweigh the risks.
Health Canada is currently advising patients who are using Zelnorm® to discontinue treatment and contact their physician to discuss other treatment options.
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc. will reimburse patients for unused Zelnorm® supplies. Medavie Blue Cross encourages all patients to return unused Zelnorm® tablets to their pharmacy. Unused tablets should not be flushed or disposed of in regular household garbage or compostable materials.
Pharmacists are collecting third party information to send to Novartis who will process reimbursements for tablet costs to private third party programs. While not a highly utilized product on our book of business, Medavie Blue Cross will follow-up on these changes to ensure plans will receive credits for costs associated with Zelnorm® tablets returned. We encourage you to communicate this important information to your employees to ensure affected members can return their Zelnorm® supplies in a timely fashion.
For additional information, please contact your Medavie Blue Cross account professional.

A Manager's Toolbox has recently been added to the HR website. The Toolbox answers many of the common questions surrounding the correct procedures to follow when hiring support staff, students and faculty at the university. The toolbox can be reached by clicking on http://www.unb.ca/hr/services/UNBToolkit.php

To facilitate timely and accurate processing of the employee/spouse/dependent tuition benefit, completed tuition benefit forms must be received in the Human Resources department by a specified date in each semester. A list of the deadline dates for 2006-2007 are as follows:

2006 Fall Term
September 27, 2006

2007 Winter Term
January 26, 2007

2007 Intersession
May 8, 2007

2007 Summer Session
July 10, 2007

Subsequent dates will be listed as they become available. It is each employee's responsibility to ensure the form is properly completed and submitted on time. Forms received after the cutoff date will not be processed resulting in the student being responsible for payment of the full cost of tuition.

UNB Human Resources wishes to advise employees that they can access the Overage Dependent Registration Form on-line this year.

A dependent child who is a full-time student at a recognized institution of learning is eligible for coverage as an overage dependent from their 19th to 24th birthday under the employee’s Group Supplementary Health and/or Dental plan.

Please complete the overage dependent form and return it to Human Resources if:

a. You have a dependent child to be registered for overage dependent status under your Group Insurance plans.
OR
b. You have a dependent child who will be attaining age 19 during this Academic Year (Sept.1/06 to Aug. 31/07) and will be attending a recognized institution of learning on a full-time basis.

This form may be accessed at http://www.unb.ca/hr/employees/documents/OverageDependentForm.pdf Please print the completed form and forward it to Human Resources by August 31, 2006.

Any questions, regarding this form, may be directed to Human Resources at 453-4648.