Canada’s one-stop shop for toothpaste, Tylenol, and toilet paper is hoping to add medical tests to that list.
What happened: Shoppers Drug Mart has agreed to a new partnership with San Diego-based startup Truvian Health, the developer of an experimental on-the-spot blood testing device, according to The Globe and Mail.
- Truvian still needs the green light from Health Canada for the devices, but if approved, Shoppers could begin offering on-site testing for 90% of the most commonly ordered blood tests.
- The move aligns with the Loblaw-owned pharmacy's push to offer more healthcare services like vaccine administering and medical consultations.
Why it matters: Broadening the scope of care pharmacists can provide could alleviate pressure on overrun healthcare systems and improve patient access to non-urgent care. That’s a particularly big deal for the 6.5 million Canadians without a family doctor.
- In recent years, provinces like B.C., Ontario, and Nova Scotia have expanded the care pharmacists can provide, including prescribing medication for minor ailments.
Zoom out: In Alberta, Shoppers is investing $77 million to expand and rebrand its locations as “pharmacy care clinics,” part of a joint effort with the province to get more Albertans to treat pharmacies as a primary healthcare option.—LA