Loblaw awarded Certificate of Excellence by Hypertension Canada

BRAMPTON, ON, Oct. 25, 2012 /CNW/ - TSX: L - Loblaw Companies Limited (Loblaw) and its pharmacy group has been awarded the Certificate of Excellence by Hypertension Canada for its efforts and positive approach on health management and chronic disease and specifically on sodium reduction with the S.A.L.T. (Sodium Awareness Lifestyle Tips) campaign.

"At Loblaw we aim to empower our customers to make healthier choices and provide them with support on their journey to a healthier lifestyle," says Bobbi Reinholdt, senior vice-president, Pharmacy, Loblaw Companies Limited. "We are proud of the way the S.A.L.T. campaign was successful in raising awareness with our patients and the role our pharmacists, and dietitians play in helping customers manage their health and wellness needs."

Some of the key factors that helped Loblaw earn the Certificate of Excellence:

• The development and implementation of the S.A.L.T. (Sodium Awareness Lifestyle Tips) program launched in February 2012 that ran for a full month in stores
• Month-long patient engagement activity centered on cardiovascular health with a special focus on sodium intake guidelines according to Hypertension Canada's CHEP recommendations
• Patients taking blood pressure medications were educated regarding the link between sodium and hypertension, appropriate daily intakes of sodium, and the need to track personal sodium intake

Loblaw pharmacies are a cornerstone of the Company's health and wellness strategy. With more than thirty years of history in the Canadian pharmacy business and 500 pharmacies across Canada, Loblaw offers a variety of patient education programs and in-store dietitians to address the health and wellness needs of customers.  This offering extends to effective collaborations with third party organizations such as Hypertension Canada, the Canadian Diabetes Association and Anaphylaxis Canada to bring unique products and services to Loblaw customers.

Additionally, Loblaw banner stores are home to more than 100 affiliated medical clinics, 100 optical stores and 60 Goodlife Fitness facilities.  Loblaw offers a wide range of healthy products, including more than 300 products from the NatureVALUE™  department and a large selection of President Choice® Blue Menu® products.  From seafood to meat to produce and baked goods, Loblaw banner stores sell the most fresh food of any retailer in Canada*, making it a one-stop health and wellness destination.

To learn more about Loblaw banner store pharmacies, please visit www.drugstorepharmacy.ca and Loblaw.ca

The award  will be presented at Hypertension Canada's 2012 annual general meeting to be held at the Sheraton Centre, Toronto, ON on Saturday, October 27^th, 2012.

*AC Nielsen

About Loblaw Companies Limited 
Loblaw Companies Limited, a subsidiary of George Weston Limited, is Canada's largest food retailer and a leading provider of drugstore, general merchandise and financial products and services. Loblaw is one of the largest private sector employers in Canada. With more than 1,000 corporate and franchised stores from coast to coast, Loblaw and its franchisees employ more than 135,000 full-time and part-time employees. Through its portfolio of store formats, Loblaw is committed to providing Canadians with a wide, growing and successful range of products and services to meet the everyday household demands of Canadian consumers. Loblaw is known for the quality, innovation and value of its food offering. It offers Canada's strongest control (private) label program, including the unique President's Choice®, no name® and Joe Fresh® brands. In addition, the Company makes available to consumers President's Choice Financial® services and offers the PC® points loyalty program.

SOURCE: Loblaw Companies Limited

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