Shoppers Drug Mart Issues Statement Regarding Expired Birth Control Medication (Alesse 21) Dispensed in Western Canada between March 16 and April 1, 2015

TORONTO, April 6, 2015 /CNW/ - Shoppers Drug Mart has identified that a number of patients in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba received expired birth control medication called Alesse 21 between March 16 and April 1, 2015.

We deeply regret this occurrence and apologize unreservedly to all those affected.

Product affected:

Product name	DIN	Strength	Pkg format	Lot number	Exp. Date
Alesse 21	02236974	100 µg of levonorgestrel and 20µg ethinyl estradiol	Blister – 21 tablets	G73720	Sept 2014

Action to be taken:

Women from Alberta who were dispensed Alesse 21 between March 16 and April 1, 2015 from the Shoppers Drug Mart locations listed at the end of this statement are urged to check the expiry date on their medication and contact their pharmacy.

As soon as Shoppers became aware that expired Alesse 21 had been dispensed, we called each customer potentially affected by the error directly. We informed them of the mistake, offered to immediately replace the expired product and provided information and counselling. We estimate that approximately 100 customers received the expired product.  We have connected with all patients who were dispensed expired product in British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. 

The care of all our patients and their health is the utmost priority for us at Shoppers. Our pharmacists take their professional responsibility to dispense medications very seriously.

In this instance, however, human error at our distribution centre in Calgary resulted in an incorrect data entry to the inventory system. Expired product was then shipped to stores in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba and dispensed to patients.

Our patients' well-being and trust are of foremost concern and guide our business decisions and processes.  Shoppers Drug Mart has launched a review of its internal protocols to determine how to prevent errors of this kind in future.

The following is a list of remaining locations that may have dispensed expired Alesse 21:

STORE NAME	#	STREET	CITY	PHONE
AIRDRIE	505	MAIN STREET	AIRDRIE	403-948-5858
BRAESIDE SHOPPING CENTRE	1919B	SOUTHLAND DRIVE SW	CALGARY	403-253-1477
LOWER MOUNT ROYAL	815	17TH AVE SW, UNIT 100	CALGARY	403-244-9769
BIG M DRUG MART	3012	17TH AVE. S.E., UNIT #5	CALGARY	403-248-4757
MARLBOROUGH MALL	3800	MEMORIAL DR N.E., UNIT 1231	CALGARY	403-272-2848
MARKET MALL	3625	SHAGANAPPI TRAIL N.W.	CALGARY	403-288-0111
CROWFOOT	28	CROWFOOT TERRACE NW	CALGARY	403-241-8818
SETON SHOPPING CENTRE	19489	SETON CRESCENT SE, UNIT 106	CALGARY	403-279-7726
MARDA LOOP	2067	33RD AVENUE SW	CALGARY	403-685-6807
STADIUM	1941	UXBRIDGE DRIVE NW, UNIT 23	CALGARY	403-289-0208
CHESTERMERE STATION	300	196 CHESTERMERE STATION WAY	CHESTERMERE	403-207-1875
COCHRANE	120	5TH AVENUE WEST, UNIT 100	COCHRANE	403-932-3568
NAMAO	16504	95 STREET NE	EDMONTON	780-456-5557
MAGRATH HEIGHTS	14135	23 AVENUE NW	EDMONTON	780-436-5135
NAMEO CENTRE	15969	97TH STREET NW	EDMONTON	780-473-2813
MACTAGGART	5970	MULLEN WAY NW	EDMONTON	780-435-1782
EDMONTON CITY CENTRE EAST	62	EDMONTON CITY CENTRE EAST	EDMONTON	780-426-7642
SOUTHPOINT SC	9360	SOUTHFORT DRIVE	FORT SASKATCHEWAN	780-998-2236
WAPITI CENTRE	10720	78TH AVENUE	GRANDE PRAIRIE	780-814-9028
LLOYD MALL	5211	44TH STREET, UNIT 200	LLOYDMINSTER	780-875-2031
MEDICINE HAT MALL	3292	DUNMORE RD. S.E.	MEDICINE HAT	403-526-1426
UPTOWNE OLDS	4607	50TH AVENUE	OLDS	403-556-3326
BOWER PLACE MALL	4900	28TH STREET, UNIT 1043	RED DEER	403-343-3355
VILLAGE MALL	6320	50TH AVE, UNIT 1	RED DEER	403-348-8164
SUMMERWOOD SHOPPING CENTRE	20	4005 CLOVER BAR ROAD	SHERWOOD PARK	780-449-3319

About Shoppers Drug Mart Corporation
Shoppers Drug Mart Corporation is one of the most recognized and trusted names in Canadian retailing.  The Company is the licensor of full-service retail drug stores operating under the name Shoppers Drug Mart (Pharmaprix in Québec).  With more than 1,250 Shoppers Drug Mart and Pharmaprix stores operating in prime locations in each province and two territories, the Company is one of the most convenient retailers in Canada.  The Company also licenses or owns 50 medical clinic pharmacies operating under the name Shoppers Simply Pharmacy (Pharmaprix Simplement Santé in Québec) and six luxury beauty destinations operating as Murale.  As well, the Company owns and operates 62 Shoppers Home Health Care stores, making it the largest Canadian retailer of home healthcare products and services.  In addition to its retail store network, the Company owns Shoppers Drug Mart Specialty Health Network Inc., a provider of specialty drug distribution, pharmacy and comprehensive patient support services, and MediSystem Technologies Inc., a provider of pharmaceutical products and services to long-term care facilities. Shoppers Drug Mart is a unique and independent operating division of Loblaw Companies Limited.

SOURCE Shoppers Drug Mart Corporation

Lana Gogas, Manager, Communications and Corporate Affairs, Shoppers Drug Mart, 416.493.1220, ext. 5141, 416.574.4408 mobile, [email protected]