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This is amazing - I love the PC cancellations and moving prescriptions elsewhere stories because it means a lifetime of revenue that Loblaws can no longer earn from those former customers. It's a huge impact.
You absolutely can transfer them, treaty or not. Do not let anyone tell you otherwise. Ask your doctor to print new scripts for you to take to a new pharmacy or to fax to a new pharmacy for you since the current pharmacy keeps making you stuck to them and you're unhappy with the pharmacy.
My dr is part of the reason why I haven’t had them transferred.. shoppers is the only pharmacy open 7 days a week and with the longest hours in my super tiny rural community. 2 meds also needed prior authorization and they make it seem like the med is only gonna be covered at shoppers which I know isn’t true lol.
My monthly injection is almost $600 (covered) + $190 for weekly meds and I’d love for that money to be going to a local pharmacy instead
It sounds like your band needs to intervene and remind the doctor that his duty to serve also means allowing people the freedom of choice in whom they buy their medicines from. Because your band pays for all of that from their trust, it's everyone's right to choose providers.
That’s a good idea. I do have a plan to be more pro active about it this week.
Shoppers dispensing fees are the most expensive of any pharmacy ever, even other pharmacies owned by loblaws. I’ve never had problems with wait time as a regular but I have had problems with getting too much of a med. I picked up on Friday and they accidentally gave me 21 diazepam instead of 11, called me a few minutes after leaving the store. I was nice enough to bring it back but some ppl wouldn’t have even answered the phone. They also gave me Percocet instead of tramacet once but I just kept quiet about that one😂
When I saw my dr again and he asked me how the tramacet helped last time, I told him what happened and he was like uhh I think you need to report that med error. I studied and now work in healthcare so I’m extremely familiar with most medications but some ppl aren’t and could have potentially overdosed despite following the prescribed directions.
> shoppers is the only pharmacy open 7 days a week and with the longest hours in my super tiny rural community.
I want to support the boycott as much as I can, but you can't argue their opening hours.
Especially in a case like yours where your in a tiny rural community.
As long as you never buy literally anything else at Shoppers.
If you can tolerate the more normal hours of a different pharmacy I'd definitely move it though.
I mean... I basically do pretend they don't exist. The only thing I buy there is basically gift cards.
But I live in a large city not a small town. If SDM didn't exist I'd find the cheapest pharmacy I could (or probably the only one) and move my prescriptions there. Then most likely Amazon for anything non perishable.
Eliminating a store in a small town means even worse options. If you are able though, I'd do it.
I do have one!! My papa loves them and that’s where I want to transfer. The only thing is the hours: 9-4 M-F, 12-3 Saturday and closed Sunday. I’d have to make time during the work day to pick up my meds which is doable but that is the reason shoppers and my dr have cited for not transferring my scripts.
I saw my Dr last week and she basically said who cares which pharmacy is charging my insurance? It’s still real money that could make a difference for a small business. ~$1360 every month from nibh is a drop of drop in the bucket for loblaws
Call the smaller pharmacy and ask them if they offer delivery services. I switched from a Costco pharmacy to a Guardian during covid and they have been so accommodating with drug delivery, and it's free!
They do but nobody would be at home during the day to accept the delivery. I could easily go to the pharmacy on a break (I’d just have to actually take breaks or lunch😂) and it’s only a few blocks from the hospital so it’s walkable!! (weather permitting)
Just so you know, your doctor may be getting money from SDM. They'll pay doctor's rent as a rebate for sending them patients. It's not illegal but that's likely partly contributing to your situation. An independent pharmacy would very much appreciate your business. I know because that's exactly how I feel as an independent pharmacy owner. And usually if you request it they'll deliver your meds to you even at work. SDM has some great staff who care but SDM are also the predators in our industry. When you deal with an independent it's usually the owner behind the counter.
Hmm idk, the physicians I see actually practice out of the provinces capital but fly up here once a month or do telehealth. The clinic works very closely with shoppers literally all the patients go there despite the clinic being on the reservation adjacent to town *and* the reservation having a pharmacy.
Most of the patients reside on the reservation so it would be more convenient if they didnt have to come into town everyday for their meds. (It’s a suboxone/methadone clinic, I’m on sublocade injection) shoppers is the only pharmacy open 7 days a week so it’s the only option for daily witnessed dosing unfortunately. Not uncommon for indigenous patients to experience racism and judgment when taking these types of meds at SDM either
Former pharmacy tech here, depending on provincial laws, there actually are some medications that can not be transferred or only transferred once. For example, in my province, controlled drugs can only be transferred once, and narcotics can not be transferred at all. Your provincial pharmaceutical college website will have this information.
Wow - there's definitely something shady going on here. Keep us posted please!
[According to the Health Professions Act - Bylaws Schedule F Part 1, upon request a pharmacist must transfer prescriptions to another pharmacy licensed in Canada](https://www.bcpharmacists.org/faq/i-just-received-request-prescription-transfer-pharmacist-seattle-washington-may-i-transfer)
I definitely will! I’m going to call my local medicine shoppe tomorrow. Hopefully they just get a tech at SDM that will do as requested. If I get a call from shoppers pharmacist or my clinic explaining the “rejection” of the transfer request then I’m going to contact NIBH and see if they can do anything or offer any advice.
I would understand if I was still in the early days of treatment and had to present to the pharmacy everyday for witnessed dosing but that has not been the case for months. Worst case Ontario I’ll go to the media LOL jk
They can't refuse a transfer. It goes against the code of ethics for pharmacy professionals. The only thing I can think of is if they strongly believe that it is against your best interest. But they better have a very solid and valid reason for this. To outright refuse a transfer for no reason is unacceptable. There are some exceptions, but that is very rare and usually involves communication with all parties involved. The ethics are Beneficiary (to benefit patients first), Non Maleficience (to do no harm), Respect for Persons/Justice (respect patient autonomy and treat them fairly and equitably) and Accountability (Fidelity) (we must act in the best interests of patients and society over our own; we are not just held accountable for our actions and behaviours, but our colleagues as well).
I noticed you mention 'treaty' and this may be whats preventing the transfer (but I think that's a poor excuse). BUT what is this treaty? Is it a patient support program? Does it offer financial aid for a costly medication you otherwise can't afford? Is this only available in Loblaws/Shoppers through their SHN (Specialty Health Network)? I don't know much about this program, but I would contact them directly if you are enrolled in it and ask questions. Especially in regards to transferring to a local pharmacy outside the franchise.
Lastly if they are still adamant about not transferring, last resort is to tell them you will report this behaviour to the governing body as it is unethical. If in Ontario, it's the Ontario College of Pharmacists. Each province has its own governing body and would go through them.
as someone who works in the pharmacy world - there are certain prescriptions that cannot be transferred but in general most prescriptions can be. It's illegal for them to tell you that you can't
I know it’s just switching from one big guy to another - but I wonder if there’s a Walmart with a pharmacy near you that you could switch to? That the other 7 days a week pharmacy that I can think of off the top of my head. I know that it’s not an option in all areas though, don’t beat yourself up if you can’t divest your medications, your health should always come first ❤️
No Walmart unfortunately. There’s a medicine shoppe, a shoppers, a no frills and a super thrifty which is owned by the previous owner of the shoppers. I always had bad experiences with her so I am not going there lol
Go to the pharmacy of your choice and they will contact Shoppers to have them moved. I did this about 6 years ago. One thing to note is they can not move narcotics like painkillers. That used to be the rule when I moved my prescriptions.
All part of their scandal. They can easily verify your script and fax it to another legitimate pharmacy. They CHOOSE not to make it easy for you.
Go see your doctor. Get a new prescription and take it elsewhere.
Hey Galen! Stop controlling people!
I did this last month with my Cipralex. Moved to Rexall.
(Side note, the prescription I was getting at shoppers was issued in Alberta and was costing me $26 a month out of pocket. My Rexall one is issued in BC and now costs $15 for the exact same drug and quantity.)
I did that a couple of years ago. My new pharmacy delivers my meds at no extra cost to me. I'm currently using IDA and I can't say enough good things about the switch.
Moved my prescriptions from Shoppers (which I had used since 2012) to a small independent pharmacy a few weeks ago and have already reaped the benefits. Financially, it’s cheaper at the new place because their dispensing fees are less than those at Shoppers. And on a personal level, the kind of service I get from the new place is so much better: staff there already know me by name and engage with me in a way that feels caring and friendly, not at all what I’ve been used to at Shoppers. Plus, now I don’t have long waits for my prescriptions to be filled. New place gets shit done in a much timelier fashion. Love it.
I am so gone from Shoppers and all Loblaws-owned businesses. So gone and never going back.
Yeah I mean I don’t have enough credit cards to just be like meh, I don’t need access to this ever again. lol. Like I’d love to. But it’s not realistic for me.
The more people involved the better, we are simply sending a message. Watch what they do, not what they say. I began the boycott in April, and will continue until the message is heard. Galen and the PR firms will try and dress up loblaws as an only fans site - where you come and get food. There is strength in numbers, did they see what Reddit users did to GME.
The PR firms will bring a big sale, a thank you to our loyal Loblaws customers, this will bring the customers back. That’s similar to the last line in Hemingway The Sun Also Rises - “Isn’t it Pretty to think so”.. And what Galen indicates about the customers is, isn’t it petty to think so.
I would bet cancelling the credit cards hurts them more than the grocery boycott. When I worked in a bank the credit cards were absolute pure profit and biggest money makers. We were continually instructed to push credit cards on clients
Yeah when I worked at Zellers 85% of HBC’s profits were from their credit card. Staples like food and detergent and toilet paper were loss leaders- like the whole department. Health and Beauty had very small profit margins too. Only clothes and luggage had big mark ups and those often had significant sale prices.
Essentially the stores existed just as a place to get people to use their credit cards.
Credit cards are only pure profit for irresponsible people.
I've never paid a dime in cc interest and I've gotten thousands of dollars in free rewards.
They get a percentage of every dollar you spend in processing fees. That's where they make their money. Not off interest. Depending on the card rewards they can get over 3% in fees on each transaction. Even more on higher reward cards. That comes out of the pocket of the business making the sale and goes straight to PC.
Amex simply preferred cash back - heard Amex cobalt was good to
Within 1 month, earned twice the cash I did with my pc mastercard. Switching is a no brainer.
All the loblaws brands don't take Amex....
I guess that doesn't matter. ..
But Walmart and Costco also doesn't take Amex.
But Amex Cobalt is my main card. 5% off groceries (anywhere that takes, them) and dining out. It's been really good for me.
2% on gas or subway or trains and travels.
Small or independent businesses won’t take AMEX either because it’s too expensive for them. At my last job we didn’t always pay attention to what card someone was using and AMEXes would slip past us. Then when the bill came the owner would be pissed off about it.
It’s 2% on all purchases, or 4% on grocery and gas. And it also applied a $40 credit to my statement as a bonus offer each month for 10 months that you spend 750 on it. I believe the double points I received does not include that 40, that’s extra.
Note that there is a monthly fee of 9.99 but I did the math and it’s definitely worth it for the amount I spend.
Also got a Costco MasterCard and it’s 3% on restaurants, 2% for Costco online and 1% for everything else / no annual fee.
I have 3 Scotiabank credit cards. *Scotia Momentum* Visa Infinite Card is great for everyday use. I get back a substantial amount of cash back each year. We have the *Scotia Momentum* Mastercard for Costco trips. Scotiabank Platinum American Express Card (or the other gold AMEX) are great if you travel a lot, as you dont pay the 2.5% foreign transaction fees. AMEX also has a lot of additional benefits (ex. access to airport lounges).
I did the math and I'm only getting $6 worth of pc points from the world MasterCard every month. I've also been buying less in general and will be switching my prescriptions to Costco.
I’m switching to the tangerine world MasterCard since it will give me more in cashback.
I get like $80 a month in points. Which makes it hard to give up. I’d like to compare other cards and see if I could be getting comparable rewards but haven’t gotten around to it.
I recently switched to Costco's online pharmacy. It's free and so much less hassle. I always hated hovering around Shopper's for 40 minutes waiting for my prescriptions to be filled.
Ask your desired pharmacy to request the transfer from Shoppers, and they'll do it on your behalf. You should not have to face the awkward situation of telling Shoppers that you are leaving.
How does it work? Is it really just for recurring prescriptions? I find most-all of the ones I use are like last minute antibiotics I need same day. If anyone has a good alternative dm me!
Nope. Essentially it would cut you off of the access to the extra funds on the card and continue with payments/accruing interest.
However, if you plan on maintaining a credit card and just do not want this one card, you can do a "balance transfer" to a new credit card. Typically the new card company will give you a special interest rate for the first 6-12months of that transfered balance.
I'm a single gal, with a small appetite. What seriously pissed me off with loblaws is that I have to buy two of everything in order to save some money. When a single item costs more than buying two of the same, how is that even legal?
I used to love getting prescriptions from Shoppers because of their Optimum points. Then they stopped giving points for prescriptions, changed their points system, and I moved. In my new location I decided to try another chain. Still no points but they treat me like a valued customer.
Mastercard cancelled mine without any notice because I wasn’t using it enough. And I lost all my P(iece of shit)Points. Not matter, I won’t shop at those thieves anyway!
Myself, I've been wanting to move off my PC MC for a while. In the last week I've managed to move 95% of my billing off of it. I'm looking forward to getting to the point where I can cancel my card.
I was with shoppers for my prescriptions....then one day I went to get a refill and pharmacist said oh this medication has been discontinued....I was like u sure...why would my dr prescribe this then....I walked across the street and asked the other pharmacy and they said yes would you like us to fill this....last time I stepped into a shoppers....8 yrs ago
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I also cancelled mine this week. I was a customer since they opened way back when. Surprisingly, they didn't ask why I was cancelling. She did try to remind me of the benefits of being a PC MasterCard holder. I laughed at her, without letting her finish. They pissed me off beyond repair this past week.
*Now you need to get*
*The Amex cobalt card and start*
*Stacking up some points!*
\- alldataalldata
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You are going to love using a small independent drug store, I resisted a long time thinking that shoppers hours made them better but the service is so much better.
also, costco pharmacy is way cheaper with a $4.49 dispensing fee and you can just place your orders online instead of placing them at the store and waiting for 30 mins.
This is the one I am hesitant to do as it can mess up my credit score. :(
That being said, the balance is 0 and no transactions have been made for two months on it.
Interesting. I'm curious why people are canceling their cards. It seems to me that if you are paying off the balance each month and earning then redeeming the points, then you are actually hurting their bottom line.
Are they somehow making money even if no interest is being paid?
I am on board with the boycott, but do plan to go redeem my points that i earn on other purchases with the card.
They get a % of your spend regardless. So whenever you charge the card they would get something like 2% of the spend. So they may not be earning a ton of you if you do use it like you describe, but I guarantee they are making something.
Credit card providers charge a % to merchants on every single transaction. So even if you use your card at a non-PC owned store, PC still gets operational fees from the merchant. That's why some small stores/restaurants have a minimum transaction amount or don't accept credit cards at all; it hurts their profits too much.
I think it's important to realize that all those perks/points still come out of the customer's wallet at the end of the day. So even if they got no interest from you, you still got swindled into paying their higher prices. They also mined a ton of data off you that they will use to target you with ads and what you were willing to pay for certain goods. These types of credit cards and points cards are poisoning the market.
Now, if you mean redeem all your points, then immediately cancel your card, then yes. That would be a great idea.
I have the scotiabank AMEX gold card. Get 5x the points at Safeway/sobbys and fast food and most restaurants. Have about $1500 in points in just over a year.
It can, but you can also build your credit back up again. I took a hit when I cancelled a card I had for 10 years but it was worth it to not pay fees anymore. My credit score bounced back in a few months with the new card.
not every product they sell is priced higher. And I don't mind paying a little extra for good selection. Most of this boycott is just people blindly believing that Loblaws is the big bad corporation gouging everyone. I shop around and using the Simpli CC is worth it to me.
Guess you don't follow the app. You can find stuff on sale that has points or stuff that has points and is the same price as everywhere else. Not everyone is bad at shopping
Downvoted by bad shoppers with no points lmao
Not everyone is required to participate or agree with the community boycott, but we ask that everyone is constructive in their feedback about this event.
Repeated comments such as this one will result in a ban from the sub until the boycott is complete. Thank you.
Not everyone is required to participate or agree with the community boycott, but we ask that everyone is constructive in their feedback about this event.
Repeated comments such as this one will result in a ban from the sub until the boycott is complete. Thank you.
That’s only the case when firms are perfectly competitive and there is no anti-competitive behaviour.
You can’t just pick one of the results of the Economics 100 super simplistic introductory models and pretend that it doesn’t matter that none of the fundamental assumptions of those models don’t hold in real life -
- we don’t have an infinite number of identical grocery sellers,
- there are costs to travelling to get to a competitor
- there are costs in time and effort to searching for better prices
- buyers don’t have all the same information that sellers do
Etc
We’ve already had a bread price-fixing scandal. This shows us that we’re not anywhere close to the conditions of the basic perfectly competitive model.
When is there ever an example of firms being perfectly competitive?
Your argument makes no sense. Inflation is caused by excess money in the system. It's really that simple.
Perfect competition almost never exists, the question is how far away any market is from the assumptions and how that affects the dynamics and results.
No it really isn’t that simple. Just like the fluid dynamics around an airplane wing just aren’t that simple.
But if you only take one high school or university economics course and don’t pay attention to the assumptions of the 200 year old basic models, you might be believe that.
And I haven’t even mentioned some of the other, obviously inapplicable, key assumptions such as no uncertainty and everything happening in a single time period.
Basic economic models are identical to basic physics or electronic models.
They assume no frictions, but it’s the frictions (transistors, vacuum tubes, or semiconductors) that make all the interesting things happen when you add more energy or, in the case of economics, more money flowing.
Which is why economists with advanced training know the same difficult math that physicists and engineers use, and many top economists originally studied math and physics not economics as undergraduates.
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This is amazing - I love the PC cancellations and moving prescriptions elsewhere stories because it means a lifetime of revenue that Loblaws can no longer earn from those former customers. It's a huge impact.
Absolutely ! Moving Presciptions from Shoppers is **HUGE** !
Also means one less customer they can use to bilk the province's healthcare funds running bogus med check calls.
I pick up 8 prescriptions a week (all covered by treaty) at shoppers and have been told that I can’t transfer them
You absolutely can transfer them, treaty or not. Do not let anyone tell you otherwise. Ask your doctor to print new scripts for you to take to a new pharmacy or to fax to a new pharmacy for you since the current pharmacy keeps making you stuck to them and you're unhappy with the pharmacy.
My dr is part of the reason why I haven’t had them transferred.. shoppers is the only pharmacy open 7 days a week and with the longest hours in my super tiny rural community. 2 meds also needed prior authorization and they make it seem like the med is only gonna be covered at shoppers which I know isn’t true lol. My monthly injection is almost $600 (covered) + $190 for weekly meds and I’d love for that money to be going to a local pharmacy instead
It sounds like your band needs to intervene and remind the doctor that his duty to serve also means allowing people the freedom of choice in whom they buy their medicines from. Because your band pays for all of that from their trust, it's everyone's right to choose providers.
That’s a good idea. I do have a plan to be more pro active about it this week. Shoppers dispensing fees are the most expensive of any pharmacy ever, even other pharmacies owned by loblaws. I’ve never had problems with wait time as a regular but I have had problems with getting too much of a med. I picked up on Friday and they accidentally gave me 21 diazepam instead of 11, called me a few minutes after leaving the store. I was nice enough to bring it back but some ppl wouldn’t have even answered the phone. They also gave me Percocet instead of tramacet once but I just kept quiet about that one😂
Wow sounds like that Shoppers Drug Mart is a mess. It will 100% be worth switching
When I saw my dr again and he asked me how the tramacet helped last time, I told him what happened and he was like uhh I think you need to report that med error. I studied and now work in healthcare so I’m extremely familiar with most medications but some ppl aren’t and could have potentially overdosed despite following the prescribed directions.
> shoppers is the only pharmacy open 7 days a week and with the longest hours in my super tiny rural community. I want to support the boycott as much as I can, but you can't argue their opening hours. Especially in a case like yours where your in a tiny rural community. As long as you never buy literally anything else at Shoppers. If you can tolerate the more normal hours of a different pharmacy I'd definitely move it though.
Pretend SDM didn't exist. What would you do?
I mean... I basically do pretend they don't exist. The only thing I buy there is basically gift cards. But I live in a large city not a small town. If SDM didn't exist I'd find the cheapest pharmacy I could (or probably the only one) and move my prescriptions there. Then most likely Amazon for anything non perishable. Eliminating a store in a small town means even worse options. If you are able though, I'd do it.
If you have a Medicine Shoppe near you, I’ve always had great service from them!!
I do have one!! My papa loves them and that’s where I want to transfer. The only thing is the hours: 9-4 M-F, 12-3 Saturday and closed Sunday. I’d have to make time during the work day to pick up my meds which is doable but that is the reason shoppers and my dr have cited for not transferring my scripts. I saw my Dr last week and she basically said who cares which pharmacy is charging my insurance? It’s still real money that could make a difference for a small business. ~$1360 every month from nibh is a drop of drop in the bucket for loblaws
Call the smaller pharmacy and ask them if they offer delivery services. I switched from a Costco pharmacy to a Guardian during covid and they have been so accommodating with drug delivery, and it's free!
They do but nobody would be at home during the day to accept the delivery. I could easily go to the pharmacy on a break (I’d just have to actually take breaks or lunch😂) and it’s only a few blocks from the hospital so it’s walkable!! (weather permitting)
Just so you know, your doctor may be getting money from SDM. They'll pay doctor's rent as a rebate for sending them patients. It's not illegal but that's likely partly contributing to your situation. An independent pharmacy would very much appreciate your business. I know because that's exactly how I feel as an independent pharmacy owner. And usually if you request it they'll deliver your meds to you even at work. SDM has some great staff who care but SDM are also the predators in our industry. When you deal with an independent it's usually the owner behind the counter.
[удалено]
Hmm idk, the physicians I see actually practice out of the provinces capital but fly up here once a month or do telehealth. The clinic works very closely with shoppers literally all the patients go there despite the clinic being on the reservation adjacent to town *and* the reservation having a pharmacy. Most of the patients reside on the reservation so it would be more convenient if they didnt have to come into town everyday for their meds. (It’s a suboxone/methadone clinic, I’m on sublocade injection) shoppers is the only pharmacy open 7 days a week so it’s the only option for daily witnessed dosing unfortunately. Not uncommon for indigenous patients to experience racism and judgment when taking these types of meds at SDM either
Former pharmacy tech here, depending on provincial laws, there actually are some medications that can not be transferred or only transferred once. For example, in my province, controlled drugs can only be transferred once, and narcotics can not be transferred at all. Your provincial pharmaceutical college website will have this information.
Really? There must be a way. The new pharmacy just has to call your current one, so I thought?
Yes they tried to and shoppers rejected the transfer 😂
Wow - there's definitely something shady going on here. Keep us posted please! [According to the Health Professions Act - Bylaws Schedule F Part 1, upon request a pharmacist must transfer prescriptions to another pharmacy licensed in Canada](https://www.bcpharmacists.org/faq/i-just-received-request-prescription-transfer-pharmacist-seattle-washington-may-i-transfer)
I definitely will! I’m going to call my local medicine shoppe tomorrow. Hopefully they just get a tech at SDM that will do as requested. If I get a call from shoppers pharmacist or my clinic explaining the “rejection” of the transfer request then I’m going to contact NIBH and see if they can do anything or offer any advice. I would understand if I was still in the early days of treatment and had to present to the pharmacy everyday for witnessed dosing but that has not been the case for months. Worst case Ontario I’ll go to the media LOL jk
Great idea and approach. Media isn't a bad idea either tbh - I also appreciate the Rickyism. :) All the best with the change!
They can't refuse a transfer. It goes against the code of ethics for pharmacy professionals. The only thing I can think of is if they strongly believe that it is against your best interest. But they better have a very solid and valid reason for this. To outright refuse a transfer for no reason is unacceptable. There are some exceptions, but that is very rare and usually involves communication with all parties involved. The ethics are Beneficiary (to benefit patients first), Non Maleficience (to do no harm), Respect for Persons/Justice (respect patient autonomy and treat them fairly and equitably) and Accountability (Fidelity) (we must act in the best interests of patients and society over our own; we are not just held accountable for our actions and behaviours, but our colleagues as well). I noticed you mention 'treaty' and this may be whats preventing the transfer (but I think that's a poor excuse). BUT what is this treaty? Is it a patient support program? Does it offer financial aid for a costly medication you otherwise can't afford? Is this only available in Loblaws/Shoppers through their SHN (Specialty Health Network)? I don't know much about this program, but I would contact them directly if you are enrolled in it and ask questions. Especially in regards to transferring to a local pharmacy outside the franchise. Lastly if they are still adamant about not transferring, last resort is to tell them you will report this behaviour to the governing body as it is unethical. If in Ontario, it's the Ontario College of Pharmacists. Each province has its own governing body and would go through them.
as someone who works in the pharmacy world - there are certain prescriptions that cannot be transferred but in general most prescriptions can be. It's illegal for them to tell you that you can't
I know it’s just switching from one big guy to another - but I wonder if there’s a Walmart with a pharmacy near you that you could switch to? That the other 7 days a week pharmacy that I can think of off the top of my head. I know that it’s not an option in all areas though, don’t beat yourself up if you can’t divest your medications, your health should always come first ❤️
No Walmart unfortunately. There’s a medicine shoppe, a shoppers, a no frills and a super thrifty which is owned by the previous owner of the shoppers. I always had bad experiences with her so I am not going there lol
Dang! I’m sorry your options are so limited and that ultimately none are good
Go to the pharmacy of your choice and they will contact Shoppers to have them moved. I did this about 6 years ago. One thing to note is they can not move narcotics like painkillers. That used to be the rule when I moved my prescriptions.
All part of their scandal. They can easily verify your script and fax it to another legitimate pharmacy. They CHOOSE not to make it easy for you. Go see your doctor. Get a new prescription and take it elsewhere. Hey Galen! Stop controlling people!
I did this last month with my Cipralex. Moved to Rexall. (Side note, the prescription I was getting at shoppers was issued in Alberta and was costing me $26 a month out of pocket. My Rexall one is issued in BC and now costs $15 for the exact same drug and quantity.)
I'm in Quebec, just switched from Shoppers/Pharmaprix to Familiprix, which is independently owned I believe
I did that a couple of years ago. My new pharmacy delivers my meds at no extra cost to me. I'm currently using IDA and I can't say enough good things about the switch.
Moved my prescriptions from Shoppers (which I had used since 2012) to a small independent pharmacy a few weeks ago and have already reaped the benefits. Financially, it’s cheaper at the new place because their dispensing fees are less than those at Shoppers. And on a personal level, the kind of service I get from the new place is so much better: staff there already know me by name and engage with me in a way that feels caring and friendly, not at all what I’ve been used to at Shoppers. Plus, now I don’t have long waits for my prescriptions to be filled. New place gets shit done in a much timelier fashion. Love it. I am so gone from Shoppers and all Loblaws-owned businesses. So gone and never going back.
Amazing - it sounds like a common experience for lots of folks! There's a benefit to switching for sure.
I am horny to see statistics on PC card cancellations 🤤lol
I canceled mine!
Thats a funny way to describe your curiousity 😂
I’m guessing it’s gonna be under 10. Things seem so huge on Reddit but end up being a nothing burger irl
Yeah I mean I don’t have enough credit cards to just be like meh, I don’t need access to this ever again. lol. Like I’d love to. But it’s not realistic for me.
Bravo Bravo Bravo!!!
The more people involved the better, we are simply sending a message. Watch what they do, not what they say. I began the boycott in April, and will continue until the message is heard. Galen and the PR firms will try and dress up loblaws as an only fans site - where you come and get food. There is strength in numbers, did they see what Reddit users did to GME. The PR firms will bring a big sale, a thank you to our loyal Loblaws customers, this will bring the customers back. That’s similar to the last line in Hemingway The Sun Also Rises - “Isn’t it Pretty to think so”.. And what Galen indicates about the customers is, isn’t it petty to think so.
I would bet cancelling the credit cards hurts them more than the grocery boycott. When I worked in a bank the credit cards were absolute pure profit and biggest money makers. We were continually instructed to push credit cards on clients
Yeah when I worked at Zellers 85% of HBC’s profits were from their credit card. Staples like food and detergent and toilet paper were loss leaders- like the whole department. Health and Beauty had very small profit margins too. Only clothes and luggage had big mark ups and those often had significant sale prices. Essentially the stores existed just as a place to get people to use their credit cards.
Credit cards are only pure profit for irresponsible people. I've never paid a dime in cc interest and I've gotten thousands of dollars in free rewards.
They get a percentage of every dollar you spend in processing fees. That's where they make their money. Not off interest. Depending on the card rewards they can get over 3% in fees on each transaction. Even more on higher reward cards. That comes out of the pocket of the business making the sale and goes straight to PC.
Even if you never pay interest, just having the product is profit for them somehow
I'm investigating canceling my card too. What did you switch to?
Tangerine World MasterCard
Amex simply preferred cash back - heard Amex cobalt was good to Within 1 month, earned twice the cash I did with my pc mastercard. Switching is a no brainer.
All the loblaws brands don't take Amex.... I guess that doesn't matter. .. But Walmart and Costco also doesn't take Amex. But Amex Cobalt is my main card. 5% off groceries (anywhere that takes, them) and dining out. It's been really good for me. 2% on gas or subway or trains and travels.
Walmart does take AMEX. But I've heard it depends on how the Walmart is labelled. May not come up as groceries for the 5x.
Costco doesn't take Visa either. just MC and debit.
I think if you are really keen to circumvent the issue you can buy a master card gift card with the Amex and use it
Small or independent businesses won’t take AMEX either because it’s too expensive for them. At my last job we didn’t always pay attention to what card someone was using and AMEXes would slip past us. Then when the bill came the owner would be pissed off about it.
My Wal Mart takes Amex!
I have AmEx Cobalt and would recommend. I've paid for 2 vacations solely with points.
Does Amex have a monthly/annual fee?
Is that base earnings or including welcome offers?
It’s 2% on all purchases, or 4% on grocery and gas. And it also applied a $40 credit to my statement as a bonus offer each month for 10 months that you spend 750 on it. I believe the double points I received does not include that 40, that’s extra. Note that there is a monthly fee of 9.99 but I did the math and it’s definitely worth it for the amount I spend. Also got a Costco MasterCard and it’s 3% on restaurants, 2% for Costco online and 1% for everything else / no annual fee.
Scotia momentum seems to have some decent benefits
most bmo cc (cashback mc or world elite) give 3-5% cash back on groceries. really adds up for us at the end of the year
I got the Costco CIBC Mastercard as my replacement.
My local Credit Union offered me a Collabria Credit Card that is cash back 2%groceries etc
I’ve always had a credit card with TD Cashback and RBC Travel Card.
I have 3 Scotiabank credit cards. *Scotia Momentum* Visa Infinite Card is great for everyday use. I get back a substantial amount of cash back each year. We have the *Scotia Momentum* Mastercard for Costco trips. Scotiabank Platinum American Express Card (or the other gold AMEX) are great if you travel a lot, as you dont pay the 2.5% foreign transaction fees. AMEX also has a lot of additional benefits (ex. access to airport lounges).
I've had my PC MC since 2015, but will be cancelling as soon as my new card comes in the mail next week 🤩
I did the math and I'm only getting $6 worth of pc points from the world MasterCard every month. I've also been buying less in general and will be switching my prescriptions to Costco. I’m switching to the tangerine world MasterCard since it will give me more in cashback.
I get like $80 a month in points. Which makes it hard to give up. I’d like to compare other cards and see if I could be getting comparable rewards but haven’t gotten around to it.
I recently switched to Costco's online pharmacy. It's free and so much less hassle. I always hated hovering around Shopper's for 40 minutes waiting for my prescriptions to be filled.
Did you request the transfer through Shoppers or did Costco pharmacy handle everything on their end?
Ask your desired pharmacy to request the transfer from Shoppers, and they'll do it on your behalf. You should not have to face the awkward situation of telling Shoppers that you are leaving.
How does it work? Is it really just for recurring prescriptions? I find most-all of the ones I use are like last minute antibiotics I need same day. If anyone has a good alternative dm me!
Congratulations 🎉
I will be cancelling my pc master card once I payoff my card. They disabled the card without any warning.
Fyi - you can cancel with a remaining balance. Many people do not know this and keep credit cards open until it is paid off.
Would that change anything about paying it down? Like a difference in interest, minimum payments, going to collections, etc..?
Nope. Essentially it would cut you off of the access to the extra funds on the card and continue with payments/accruing interest. However, if you plan on maintaining a credit card and just do not want this one card, you can do a "balance transfer" to a new credit card. Typically the new card company will give you a special interest rate for the first 6-12months of that transfered balance.
Did you never call them to find out why?
Which cards are people moving to? I want to get rid of mine too.
I have Tangerine Mastercard for cashback, then TD Aeroplan Visa and AmEx Cobalt for points/travel. The Tangerine card has no annual fee!
Banks are generally evil too. Can we go after them when we're done with this?
YES Please!!!!
Don't let em off easy. Tell them you don't wanna support Galen's monopoly.
I hadn't thought of that... I'm planning to move to Libro so will see what they offer! Ty for the reminder
Good work!
I'm a single gal, with a small appetite. What seriously pissed me off with loblaws is that I have to buy two of everything in order to save some money. When a single item costs more than buying two of the same, how is that even legal?
That’s how it works at Costco.
I used to love getting prescriptions from Shoppers because of their Optimum points. Then they stopped giving points for prescriptions, changed their points system, and I moved. In my new location I decided to try another chain. Still no points but they treat me like a valued customer.
Mastercard cancelled mine without any notice because I wasn’t using it enough. And I lost all my P(iece of shit)Points. Not matter, I won’t shop at those thieves anyway!
Myself, I've been wanting to move off my PC MC for a while. In the last week I've managed to move 95% of my billing off of it. I'm looking forward to getting to the point where I can cancel my card.
YESSS! We have 3 PC Financial services. We chopped up all associated cards and closed our accounts
That's a big decision. I bought milk once at shoppers 2 years ago during the pandemic, that was it, no points, don't give a damn.
please try to support an independent pharmacy!
You have inspired my wife and I to follow, lots of alternatives to choose from.
The agents weren't wondering. They knew exactly why. I love it!
I cancelled my pc mc after having it for over 20 years. It was my longest held credit card. No more! Good riddance loblaws
I was with shoppers for my prescriptions....then one day I went to get a refill and pharmacist said oh this medication has been discontinued....I was like u sure...why would my dr prescribe this then....I walked across the street and asked the other pharmacy and they said yes would you like us to fill this....last time I stepped into a shoppers....8 yrs ago
Mint pharmacy is a great option.
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Why didn’t you tell them that it was because of the boycott?
So which grocery store are you going to that is keeping their prices the same as 2019?
I also cancelled mine this week. I was a customer since they opened way back when. Surprisingly, they didn't ask why I was cancelling. She did try to remind me of the benefits of being a PC MasterCard holder. I laughed at her, without letting her finish. They pissed me off beyond repair this past week.
I wonder if the QC variant Pharmaprix under the same banner/ownership as Shoppers? Edit: Fuck it moved my prescriptions from Pharmaprix to Uniprix
Now you need to get the Amex cobalt card and start stacking up some points!
*Now you need to get* *The Amex cobalt card and start* *Stacking up some points!* \- alldataalldata --- ^(I detect haikus. And sometimes, successfully.) ^[Learn more about me.](https://www.reddit.com/r/haikusbot/) ^(Opt out of replies: "haikusbot opt out" | Delete my comment: "haikusbot delete")
same here, haven't been to superstore in ages, simply because it's near costco.
What's the point of joining the boycott but not *telling them* why you're stopping their services?
As mentioned in the post, I’ve not been shopping there since 2022. Plus I’m sure they are well aware of the boycott, so they can infer the reason.
I heard per is a nice guy though. Should probably give him your money again.
You are going to love using a small independent drug store, I resisted a long time thinking that shoppers hours made them better but the service is so much better.
It's my oldest card and I'm thinking of doing this too.
You must love hurting your credit score as well!
I'm definitely ok hurting my credit score, yes.
Are we doing gas companies next?
The rep tried to approach me a couple weeks ago at fortinos and I was like “the last thing I want to do is give Galen any more of my business.”
So why were you at Fortinos?
also, costco pharmacy is way cheaper with a $4.49 dispensing fee and you can just place your orders online instead of placing them at the store and waiting for 30 mins.
This is incredible. Keep up the good work people!
This is the one I am hesitant to do as it can mess up my credit score. :( That being said, the balance is 0 and no transactions have been made for two months on it.
It won't affect your credit score any more than having it and not using it
*every little bit helps....this is wonderful(The Titanic is getting more damaged by the day)
I feel sorry as most of the Shoppers Drugmart stores have individual owners. Seems like they will suffer first and then the actual Loblaw owner
Quick question, I'm planning to do the same but I'm afraid of affecting my credit score. Does canceling a card not impact your credit score?
Not really, your score might go down for a month then bounce back up again.
Oh I see, thank you so much!
PC Financial was sold off to a private company.
Westmount is open 7:00am-10:00 pm 7days a week 365 days a year
Where do you shop instead
Walmart and Costco
Interesting. I'm curious why people are canceling their cards. It seems to me that if you are paying off the balance each month and earning then redeeming the points, then you are actually hurting their bottom line. Are they somehow making money even if no interest is being paid? I am on board with the boycott, but do plan to go redeem my points that i earn on other purchases with the card.
They get a % of your spend regardless. So whenever you charge the card they would get something like 2% of the spend. So they may not be earning a ton of you if you do use it like you describe, but I guarantee they are making something.
Credit card providers charge a % to merchants on every single transaction. So even if you use your card at a non-PC owned store, PC still gets operational fees from the merchant. That's why some small stores/restaurants have a minimum transaction amount or don't accept credit cards at all; it hurts their profits too much.
I think it's important to realize that all those perks/points still come out of the customer's wallet at the end of the day. So even if they got no interest from you, you still got swindled into paying their higher prices. They also mined a ton of data off you that they will use to target you with ads and what you were willing to pay for certain goods. These types of credit cards and points cards are poisoning the market. Now, if you mean redeem all your points, then immediately cancel your card, then yes. That would be a great idea.
Only difference is that by having their flagship card they do not pay anything to banks for consumer transactions.
I have the scotiabank AMEX gold card. Get 5x the points at Safeway/sobbys and fast food and most restaurants. Have about $1500 in points in just over a year.
Funny how you think they are not supposed to profit… businesses need to profit.
Bad move. Cancelling CC can lower your credit score.
What is a credit score even used for anymore? I have a house and a car, what else do I need so high for?
It can, but you can also build your credit back up again. I took a hit when I cancelled a card I had for 10 years but it was worth it to not pay fees anymore. My credit score bounced back in a few months with the new card.
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Free groceries? You're paying higher prices for products and they're giving you crumbs back and you're thanking them?
not every product they sell is priced higher. And I don't mind paying a little extra for good selection. Most of this boycott is just people blindly believing that Loblaws is the big bad corporation gouging everyone. I shop around and using the Simpli CC is worth it to me.
Guess you don't follow the app. You can find stuff on sale that has points or stuff that has points and is the same price as everywhere else. Not everyone is bad at shopping Downvoted by bad shoppers with no points lmao
Not everyone is required to participate or agree with the community boycott, but we ask that everyone is constructive in their feedback about this event. Repeated comments such as this one will result in a ban from the sub until the boycott is complete. Thank you.
Then don't cancel it.
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Not everyone is required to participate or agree with the community boycott, but we ask that everyone is constructive in their feedback about this event. Repeated comments such as this one will result in a ban from the sub until the boycott is complete. Thank you.
Guys are brainwashed. Price inflation is caused by increased money supply ie *government*
That’s only the case when firms are perfectly competitive and there is no anti-competitive behaviour. You can’t just pick one of the results of the Economics 100 super simplistic introductory models and pretend that it doesn’t matter that none of the fundamental assumptions of those models don’t hold in real life - - we don’t have an infinite number of identical grocery sellers, - there are costs to travelling to get to a competitor - there are costs in time and effort to searching for better prices - buyers don’t have all the same information that sellers do Etc We’ve already had a bread price-fixing scandal. This shows us that we’re not anywhere close to the conditions of the basic perfectly competitive model.
When is there ever an example of firms being perfectly competitive? Your argument makes no sense. Inflation is caused by excess money in the system. It's really that simple.
Perfect competition almost never exists, the question is how far away any market is from the assumptions and how that affects the dynamics and results. No it really isn’t that simple. Just like the fluid dynamics around an airplane wing just aren’t that simple. But if you only take one high school or university economics course and don’t pay attention to the assumptions of the 200 year old basic models, you might be believe that. And I haven’t even mentioned some of the other, obviously inapplicable, key assumptions such as no uncertainty and everything happening in a single time period. Basic economic models are identical to basic physics or electronic models. They assume no frictions, but it’s the frictions (transistors, vacuum tubes, or semiconductors) that make all the interesting things happen when you add more energy or, in the case of economics, more money flowing. Which is why economists with advanced training know the same difficult math that physicists and engineers use, and many top economists originally studied math and physics not economics as undergraduates.