Canadian medical cannabis company Aphria Inc. and the nation’s largest provider of pharmacy products and services, Shoppers Drug Mart, have entered into an agreement that will see the drug store chain sell Aphria-branded products through their online portal.
“We have an impeccable record cultivating and producing high-quality, medical-grade cannabis,” said Vic Neufeld, CEO of Aphria, in a press release. “These traits make us a strong partner for an organization looking to serve and support Canadian patients.”
According to a Canadian Press report, the five-year deal will see Shoppers Drug Mart sell four strains of flower in two different quantities and four cannabis-derived oils.
Shoppers Drug Mart Spokeswoman Catherine Thomas said the agreement solidifies the company’s view that pharmacies and pharmacists should play a role in medical cannabis distribution.
“As the federal and provincial governments finalize their respective cannabis frameworks, we remain optimistic that they will allow pharmacists in stores, in communities to apply their professional care to medical cannabis patients,” she said in the report.
The deal still needs to be approved by Health Canada and relies on the agency licensing Shoppers Drug Mart parent company Loblaw Companies Ltd. to distribute medical cannabis products.