Shoppers Drug Mart / Pharmaprix is committed to providing our customers and patients with quality merchandise, medications and consumables that are safe, responsibly sourced and competitively priced. We have stringent protocols in place to ensure the safety and efficacy of the products we sell. Although we do not own or operate any manufacturing facilities, we provide our vendor partners with detailed specifications for the products we procure, and require our vendors to adhere to all Health Canada regulations, as well as all applicable environmental and labour-related laws and regulations.

Each vendor (domestic or international) must submit to the terms and conditions outlined in our vendor agreement, which states our expectations for product quality, safety and adherence to government regulations. Before agreeing to conduct business with any international vendor, we require a review of their existing social compliance audit. If an audit is not available, we have contracted with independent third-party auditors to inspect a prospective vendor’s operations and production facilities in order to ensure compliance with all governing labour and environmental laws, and our own technical specifications. All globally sourced products are tested prior to being shipped to Canada to ensure they comply with all specifications outlined by the regulatory bodies and by Shoppers Drug Mart / Pharmaprix. If a product does not meet with these specifications and does not pass our tests for quality assurance, it will be refused.

We subject our private label products to regular internal quality assurance testing to ensure that all merchandise meets the specifications stipulated. Our vendors must provide product specifications (including ingredient listings) and certificates of compliance for all new private label product introductions, which are reviewed and approved by our Quality Assurance Team. We maintain detailed records for each product, including ingredient sources and inspection reports, which can be readily accessed should the need arise.
Health Canada and the Federal Government have enacted regulations to assist consumers in making informed choices about the products they purchase, and we support this national set of standards designed to protect against human and environmental harm. We believe that these authorities are best positioned to identify and prevent potential dangers to consumers, and therefore, we follow their guidance in this regard.

The ongoing review of the safety of ingredients in consumer products is closely monitored by our internal Quality Assurance Team. Through direct contact with Health Canada and through the associations with which we work closely, including the Canadian Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association, the Canadian Association of Chain Drug Stores and the Retail Council of Canada, we are kept apprised of emerging issues within the area of product safety. We continue to work closely with government agencies and our industry associations on emerging issues regarding product ingredients and their potential impact on the health and well being of consumers. Our active involvement with these groups provides us with the required time and information necessary to take proactive steps to minimize the impact on our business and protect the safety of our customers and patients.

Recognizing that it is not always possible to identify a specific product concern in advance, Shoppers Drug Mart/Pharmaprix has a clearly identified recall process in place to notify stores and ensure that any affected product is removed from shelves in an expeditious manner. Our vendors are responsible for the financial expenses incurred as a result of any product recall.

Taking the Lead

Shoppers Drug Mart / Pharmaprix does not commission the use of animal testing for any of our private label products, a policy which is communicated to and enforced with our vendors.