Group wants cigarettes removed from pharmacies

From the Regina Leader Post:
Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada say pharmacies that sell cigarettes are profiting from death and disease.

The Ottawa-based advocacy group is calling on the governments of British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Manitoba to introduce legislation to ban the sales of tobacco in pharmacies, just as Alberta did on Jan. 1.

Selling tobacco is not consistent with the role of a health-care provider, said Dr. Charles Els, the Alberta director of Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada.

“A pharmacy is a place of health, it’s a place where we go to get health advice, to get the best advice on medication and disease conditions ... The bottom line is that it’s completely incongruent with the role of a pharmacist to be profiting from death and disease related to tobacco,” Els said. “We believe that if tobacco continues to be sold in pharmacies, it conveys the message that tobacco is just another consumer product. It lends a false legitimacy and a false sense of safety to tobacco.”

The Ministry of Health understands the concerns regarding the ethical responsibilities of selling a product that causes health problems, said Saskatchewan Health spokeswoman Joan Petrie. ...more

Province bans drug store cigarette sales

From the Airdrie (AB) Echo:
The Government of Alberta has made its next move to curb smoking in the province, banning tobacco sales anywhere that sells pharmaceuticals.

Effective last Thursday, any pharmacies and grocery stores that carry pharmaceuticals are banned from selling tobacco except in gas stations, mall kiosks or separate enclosed spaces.

At the local Super Drug Mart, store manager Steve Martin is packing up what tobacco products he has on hand, and is sending them back to the various vendors.

The new rules will most likely hinder the stores total sales, but Martin says it’s a step forward for pharmacies.

“Being a health store I think it’s a good thing,” Martin said. “It makes conflicts in what we are trying to promote. It will be tough for sales though.” ...more

Anti-smoking law forces retailer to phase out pharmacy

From the Edmonton Journal:
With the final phase of Alberta's Tobacco Reduction Act set to take effect on New Year's Day, Stadium Drug and Food Mart owner Jack Au had a business choice to make.

Either keep his grocery store where more than 50 per cent of sales come from tobacco products or hang on to the less lucrative pharmacy and watch his former smoking customers buy their cigarettes elsewhere.

"So I closed up the pharmacy. It made no sense to continue with that business when over 50 per cent of the business is tobacco here," Au said.

Au now uses the corner where the pharmacy once stood to rent out videos.

When Jan. 1 rolls around, he will permanently seal up the double doors leading to the pharmacy which moved next door.

There will be no access from his store. He intends to be in compliance with the province's anti-smoking legislation, considered by some to be among the toughest in the country.

Under the legislation, all pharmacies, stores that have a pharmacy in them, health-care facilities and post-secondary institutions in Alberta will no longer be allowed to sell tobacco products as of Jan. 1. ...more

Whitehorse pharmacy to stop selling cigarettes

From CBC News:
Yukon smokers are about to lose a popular supplier of cigarettes: the new owner of a prominent Whitehorse pharmacy says she'll be phasing out all tobacco sales by the end of this year.

Since taking over the Shoppers Drug Mart location on Main Street earlier in November, pharmacist and owner Tracey Keefer said she has been planning to get rid of cigarettes, which are currently for sale there.

"I don't think pharmacies should be selling cigarettes, if you're trying to promote healthiness," Keefer told CBC News, adding that tobacco sales are already banned from pharmacies in some other parts of Canada.

"We don't sell alcohol, we don't sell other … street drugs or anything here, so we're going to get rid of the cigarettes," she added. ...more

Walgreens seeks to stop S.F. tobacco ban

From the San Francisco Chronicle:
Attorneys for Walgreens are seeking an emergency injunction to stop San Francisco from banning the sale of tobacco products in pharmacies.

In July, San Francisco became the first city in the nation to ban the sale of tobacco products in pharmacies such as Walgreens and Rite Aid, saying sick people getting their prescriptions filled shouldn't be faced with cancer-causing products sitting nearby.

But the ban, which is scheduled to take effect Oct. 1, doesn't extend to grocery stores or big-box stores that also have pharmacies. That's why the company wants the plan stopped, said Walgreens spokeswoman Tiffani Bruce.

"Our position is based solely on being fair across different types of retailers," she said, noting that smokers will just buy their cigarettes at another store down the block.

"Our pharmacists are trained to counsel smokers on smoking cessation products and how to go about kicking their habit," she added. "This ordinance will discourage smokers from coming to a place where they can have this type of access."

But Mitch Katz, director of the city's Department of Public Health, wasn't buying Walgreens' logic. ..more

Advocates urge tobacco ban in B.C. drug stores

From the Vancouver Sun:
B.C. is one of the last three provinces in Canada allowing cigarettes and other deadly tobacco products to be sold in pharmacies.

Anti-tobacco advocates argue that sends a conflicting message to people - especially youths - who go to drug stores for health products and counselling.

The issue will be discussed at a meeting Tuesday between B.C. Health Minister George Abbott and the B.C. and Yukon branch of the Canadian Cancer Society. ...more

Pharmacists slammed for tobacco sales

From Vancouver 24 Hours:
The Canadian Cancer Society again condemned cigarette sales in B.C. pharmacies yesterday slamming health professionals who choose profit over their client's wellbeing.

"Pharmacists who prescribe products to make you feel better should not be able to sell cigarettes which, when used as directed, kill," said society spokesperson Kathryn Seely.

In Alberta, legislators passed a bill banning tobacco sales in pharmacies, including big-box stores with a drug dispensary.

The B.C. Pharmacy Association demands proof Alberta's plan to strip pharmacists' ability to sell tobacco, starting in 2009, reduces smoking rates.

For now, "It's a business decision that's being made as to what products are going to be carried elsewhere outside of the dispensary," said BCPA CEO Marnie Mitchell. ...more

Anti-smoking bill calls for maximum $100,000 fine

From the Edmonton Journal:
Alberta's tough new anti-smoking legislation will slap fines of up to $100,000 on stores that visibly display or advertise the tobacco products they sell, or on any pharmacies, post-secondary campuses or health facilities that vend the cancer-causing product.

But the bill, which Health Minister Dave Hancock introduced Tuesday, did not specify when its tobacco-control measures will take effect. ...more

Smoke habit hard for stores to break

The ban of tobacco sales in pharmacies in Alberta is imminent. We know that legislation will be enacted, but the effective date is not known yet. While it's quite evident how the change will affect smaller pharmacies that still stock cigarettes, it seemed a lot less clear to me regarding the big grocery stores with pharmacies. However, we seem to have an answer in this article:

As for the pharmacy rule, (Health Minister David) Hancock said Wednesday it will even apply to sprawling retailers like Costco and supermarkets that house both pharmacies and cigarette counters.

"They'll have to choose," he said.

That's a bold statement. I would expect that grocery stores with adjacent liquor stores could just move cigarettes into those locales, but that won't cover a significant percentage of these retailers. I have a hard time imagining that Costco, which sells an enormous amount of cigarettes which ultimately are sold by retailers, would be willing to give these sales up. I guess we'll have to wait and see.

From the Edmonton Journal:
The government's sweeping anti-tobacco legislation will hit retailers the hardest, forcing corner stores to hide their lucrative product and making even large grocery stores choose between their pharmacies and cigarette sales, Health Minister Dave Hancock said.

His Tobacco Reduction Act will be introduced next week. In addition to making all Alberta workplaces smoke-free, the bill would ban visible displays or advertisements of tobacco products in stores, and prohibit cigarette sales at any location selling prescription drugs. ...more

Smokers, vendors have summer to adjust

Alberta is planning on passing some tough new anti-smoking laws, including rules that would prevent sales of tobacco products in pharmacies. I'm curious to see how that will actually work in practice. Does this mean grocery stores with pharmacy departments will be prevented from selling cigarettes?

From the Edmonton Journal:
The provincial government signalled an end Thursday to Alberta's ranking as Canada's most smoker-friendly province, approving a provincewide ban on smoking in workplaces and other steps that would make Alberta one of the toughest anti-tobacco jurisdictions.

Conservative MLAs, a group that has long opposed cracking down on where smokers can light up, also decided to prohibit visible cigarette ads or displays in stores, and to ban sales of tobacco products in pharmacies, post-secondary schools or health facilities.

It's unclear when the plan will take effect, but it will also prohibit smoking near doorways and windows, to shield people from the toxins of second-hand smoke, Health Minister Dave Hancock said. ...more