Several current and former Shoppers Drug Mart associate owners and pharmacists from various parts of the country have informed CBC News that the company has established goals for professional services, such as medication reviews. (Photo: Ben Nelms/CBC)
In the hushed confines of corporate emails and whispered conversations, a tale of pressure, targets, and ethical quandaries unfolds within the realm of Shoppers Drug Mart. Behind the familiar facade of the beloved Canadian pharmacy chain, a storm brews, threatening to shatter the trust between pharmacists and their corporate overlords.
It all began innocuously enough in January when a missive from a Shoppers Drug Mart district manager in Ontario descended upon the inboxes of store owners, laden with disappointment like a heavy cloak. Despite meticulous plans and whispered expectations, the first week of 2024 proved a dismal failure, missing targets by a wide margin, the email revealed.
But this was just the tip of the iceberg. Like hidden currents beneath calm waters, the internal records unearthed by frustrated pharmacists across the nation painted a troubling picture. CBC News, ever the vigilant observer, obtained these records, revealing a clandestine world where the pharmacy chain, despite its public denials, danced to the tune of targets and quotas for professional services like medication reviews.
President Jeff Leger's recent denial rang hollow in the ears of those who toiled within the bowels of the corporation. Associates and pharmacists, their voices cloaked in anonymity for fear of retribution, stepped forward to corroborate the existence of these targets and the relentless pressure to meet them.
"It was really disturbing to us as associate owners to hear that from the president," lamented Philip, a pharmacist and associate store owner, his voice but a whisper in the growing storm. "We have brought this up many times... there shouldn't be any targets or quotas..."
These targets weren't mere numbers on a spreadsheet; they weighed heavily on the shoulders of pharmacists like Curtis, a former associate store owner whose franchise agreement met an untimely demise. The pressure was palpable, and relentless, with weekly performance records scrutinized, and the specter of repercussions looming large for those who failed to meet their billing targets.
But as the tempest gathered strength, CBC News sought answers, reaching out to President Leger for his side of the story, only to be met with silence. In the void, a spokesperson for Shoppers Drug Mart parroted familiar lines, insisting on the autonomy of pharmacists in decision-making, even as dissenting voices within the ranks cried foul.
Amidst the chaos, a chilling revelation emerged: the post-pandemic landscape had become fertile ground for corporate greed to take root. As demand for COVID-19 services waned, the pressure to churn out medication reviews and other billable services intensified, a cynical bid to safeguard profits at the expense of professional integrity.
In a bid for redemption, Shoppers Drug Mart dangled incentives before weary owners, offering a tantalizing 10 percent bonus for exceeding targets, a meager reward for the ethical tightrope they were forced to walk.
As the storm rages on, questions of ethics and accountability hang heavy in the air. For pharmacists like Philip, Curtis, and Scott, the moral compass spins wildly amidst the corporate maelstrom, threatening to lead them astray.
And as the Ontario College of Pharmacists gathers evidence and echoes of dissent, the world watches with bated breath, for the battle between profit and patient care rages on, not just in Ontario, but across the vast expanse of North America.
