The recent Ontario government move on generic drug pricing has received lots of press coverage this week. The province has taken steps for their own reasons and they are significant changes. What is also apparent is that the retail pharmacists of Ontario have responded swiftly and negatively to this move. I don’t have the background, knowledge, or experience to comment on the reasons for the changes the province has made, but I do have a view about Shoppers Drug Mart in particular. Way back in 1978 in my first job as a brand assistant at Colgate Palmolive, Shoppers was a customer. Also, Murray Koffler, the founder of Shoppers Drug Mart, was someone who was recognized as a great corporate citizen. Murray and Marvelle Koffler have been very significant supporters of healthcare and so many other causes. Murray’s son, Tom and his wife Anna, are good friends of mine. Later in my career I got a chance to get to know David Bloom as I was working in retailing as president of HMV and David was a force of nature in raising funds for many worthy causes. To this day, David and Molly Bloom have been very generous supporters of so many causes and in particular, have helped Princess Margaret raise over $4.2 million for one of the most significant commitments to multiple myeloma research in North America. That leads me to recent dealings with Shoppers Drug Mart and in particular their very gifted CEO, Jürgen Schreiber. I met Jürgen through an associate and gave him a two-hour tour of PMH several years back and asked if he would join the Board of PMHF. Jürgen had a stellar career in global retailing but also had a personal passion for cancer research and clinical care. He agreed to join our Board and although he is a very busy CEO, he has been incredibly generous with his time and helpful in so many ways. In particular, when we were relaunching the Weekend to End Breast Cancer and expanding this important national initiative, we asked for Shoppers help. We are in the midst of a significant and successful relaunch of the Weekend to End Women’s Cancers with the extraordinary support of Shoppers Drug Mart and Jürgen Schreiber. In my seven years at PMHF, we have been so fortunate to have dozens and dozens of major corporations support us and our cause in generous ways. However, I would have to say the corporate and personal support of Shoppers Drug Mart and Jürgen Schreiber is unparalleled in my tenure at PMHF. Shoppers is our national sponsor of the Weekend to End Women’s Cancers and has given us substantial financial support for this sponsorship. What is even more valuable is the way SDM has engaged its staff to support this event and provides marketing support, retail support, and a corporate outreach and challenge to help build teams to do the Walk. We have run a series of ads with the theme, “Walk the Walk”. Jürgen Schreiber and Mary-Alice Vuicic and dozens of others at Shoppers have personally stepped out and really, really put their personal energy and support behind this national women’s cancer initiative. When I write these blog postings, I always try to give my personal take on stories or events at PMH that leave an impression on me. I am writing this blog today not to take sides on the provincial government decision, but to offer my personal observations on what an incredible corporate citizen Shoppers Drug Mart is. Going back to the Koffler family and through the David Bloom era and now under Jürgen Schreiber’s superb leadership, my personal experience with the corporation Shoppers Drug Mart and their leadership has made me want to say something in support of this fine organization. We have so many corporations who have given us so much support, but SDM is just a shining light to us who want to do something important about women’s cancers. Looks like Jürgen and team are having a tough week and from my personal vantage point, I hope SDM is treated fairly and with the respect such a fine corporate citizen deserves.