(RTTNews) - Canadian pharmacy chain Shoppers Drug Mart has recently expanded Medical Cannabis by Shoppers, its online platform for the sale of medical cannabis, to all provinces and territories in Canada.
The company recently announced the expansion of its medical cannabis portal to include Nova Scotia, British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland and Labrador.
According to Statistics Canada, more than 1.1 million Canadians use cannabis for medical purposes, but more than 800,000 patients are self-medicating by purchasing from either legal retailers or from the illegal cannabis market, without the guidance of a healthcare professional.
The high rate of self-medicating is concerning, Shoppers Drug Mart noted. A survey in 2019 found that 76 per cent of medical cannabis patients wrongly believe there are no side effects from combining cannabis with other medications.
"We expanded Medical Cannabis by Shoppers nationally to provide enhanced service to more patients so they can feel empowered to access medical cannabis through the medical market with the guidance of healthcare professionals," said Jeff Leger, President of Shoppers Drug Mart.
In December 2018, Shopper Drug Mart obtained a license from Health Canada to sell medical cannabis products and accessories such as vaporizers and oil infusers, online. Under current regulations, pharmacists cannot dispense medical cannabis from a pharmacy.
Shoppers Drug Mart is the licensor of full-service retail drug stores operating under the name Shoppers Drug Mart, or Pharmaprix in Québec.
The company first launched Medical Cannabis by Shoppers in Ontario in January 2019, and then in Alberta in April 2019.
Medical Cannabis by Shoppers provides patients access to a number of products from Canadian licensed producers, shipped directly to their doorstep.
As Shoppers Drug Mart does not produce its own cannabis, it has signed supply and quality agreements with 12 cannabis producers to offer a wide variety of cannabis brands and medical accessories.
The company also offers support for patients through the Shoppers cannabis care centre, a call center staffed by professionals who offer counselling and support for patients.
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