Shoppers Drug Mart Creating New Pathways to Public Healthcare Across Canada

Clinics offer patients easier access, improved experience, and better health outcomes

February 12, 2024, Toronto ON – Last week, Shoppers Drug Mart announced the opening of its latest clinic in Amherst Nova Scotia, bringing the company’s total number of clinics across the country to 74, with 72 more planned by the end of 2024. The clinics aim to address some of the issues currently facing public healthcare systems across Canada by relieving pressure on existing frontline services and giving patients more options when accessing healthcare. The clinics complement existing services by allowing pharmacists to manage the basic primary care conditions within their scope and triage patients to higher levels of care for more complex cases.

“Results from our clinics to date have far exceeded expectations with over 300,000 total patient visits since launch, close to half of whom don’t have a family doctor. In provinces like Nova Scotia and Alberta, 20 – 35 per cent of visits were for chronic conditions like diabetes and cardiovascular disease,” said Jeff Leger, Pharmacist and President of Shoppers Drug Mart. “The numbers speak not only to the sheer volume of demand for services, but also a pharmacist’s ability to meet that demand, providing care efficiently and effectively within the broader public healthcare system.”

Shoppers is leading other pharmacy retailers in terms of direct investment, with more clinic locations in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Ontario, than any other. Publicly funded insured services at the Shoppers’ clinics are offered at no charge to patients with a valid health card.

“Our purpose is to help Canadians Live, Life, Well and we’re delivering on that commitment by making quality, publicly funded healthcare easier to access across the country,” continued Leger. “We’re pleased with our results to date, making a real difference in the health and wellbeing of our communities and are committed to continuing to invest in the services that matter most to Canadians.”