Court rules pharmacists group can’t prohibit rewards programs

An Alberta court has ruled that Alberta consumers should be allowed to collect perks such as Air Miles when buying painkillers and other prescription drugs.

The Alberta College of Pharmacists can’t stop pharmacies from offering loyalty rewards, points and incentives programs, according to an April 22 ruling from the Court of Queen’s Bench.

The court document concluded the prohibition of drug reward programs is beyond the authority of the Alberta College of Pharmacists under the Health Professions Act.

It comes after the Alberta College of Pharmacists voted in April 2014 to amend its standards and code of ethics to end the use of loyalty programs amid concern people were abusing the incentives.

The ban was slated to go into effect that June but was put on hold when Sobeys applied for a judicial review.

The April 22 court document states there is little evidence to support the conclusion that loyalty programs cause harm to the public or are not in the public interest.

On Tuesday, the Alberta College of Pharmacists, which is the provincial body governing pharmacists, refused to comment on the recent court decision.

The college has previously said inducement programs, such as Air Miles offered by Safeway and Sobeys, and Optimum Points from Shoppers Drug Mart, can encourage people to refill prescriptions to obtain rewards, which can put a patient’s health at risk and strain the health-care system.

But Albertans, especially those on fixed incomes, have argued earning Air Miles on pricey prescription drugs allows customers to purchase products or trips they wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford.

In 2014, Sobeys spearheaded a group called Coalition for Consumer Choice to advocate against the looming ban on drug rewards programs.

The coalition, which included Sobeys and Safeway Pharmacies, the Chronic Pain Association of Canada and the Air Miles Reward Program, launched a popular online petition opposing the ban called, “I Earned It.”

The issue isn’t unique to Alberta — other provinces have pulled the plug on loyalty and reward programs associated with the sale of prescription drugs.