Message to Minister Deb Matthews: Apologize to Ontario Community Pharmacists

Ontario's Community Pharmacies Call on Minister to Say She's Sorry

TORONTO, April 9 /CNW/ - This media statement is being issued in response to inaccurate and incendiary statements by Minister Deb Matthews questioning the propriety of Ontario community pharmacists:

The Ontario Pharmacists' Association, the Independent Pharmacists of Ontario, and the Canadian Association of Chain Drug Stores, independently and jointly call on the Minister for an apology to Ontario Community Pharmacists for her disparaging statements challenging the integrity of members of the profession.

"The massive cuts to frontline healthcare effectively remove the equivalent of three pharmacists from every pharmacy. Minister Matthews owes every hard working Pharmacist in Ontario a personal apology today for inaccurate statements. Front line care providers do not deserve a cheap political attack on professional allowances - a system Dalton McGuinty's government created, audits and regulates."

"We are extremely disappointed not only by the Ministers' negative statements and actions," said Rita Winn, pharmacist and general manager of Lovell Drugs in Oshawa, "pharmacists are particularly dismayed at the governments' reckless actions, which continue to move the discussion away from health care funding cuts, which is the key issue.

"Valuable healthcare services that 13 million Ontarian's rely on every day are on the brink of elimination."

About Ontario's Community Pharmacies

The Ontario's Community Pharmacies coalition is the unified voice of community pharmacy in Ontario, representing independent owner-operated stores, "banner" groups of independently-owned stores that work together, as well as large and small pharmacy chains. The coalition is supported by the associations and organizations that represent both the profession and the neighbourhood business of pharmacy, including the Ontario Pharmacists' Association, the Independent Pharmacists of Ontario, the Canadian Association of Chain Drug Stores and the Ontario Chain Drug Association.

For further information: Ontario's Community Pharmacies Coalition Media Hotline, [phone] x202, Editor's Note: Ms. Rita Winn is available for one-on-one interviews this afternoon.