Corporate Archives - Page 5 of 37

United Way and London Drugs calling on Canadians to help fill immediate need for menstrual product donations as pandemic leaves many struggling to afford necessities

May 28, 2021 – With the COVID-19 pandemic has come a wave of challenges for Canadians including job loss, which for many has amplified the ongoing struggle to afford basic necessities like menstrual products.

“Nobody should have to choose between buying food or buying period products. We’re putting the call out to Canadians to help us fill the immediate need exacerbated by the pandemic, but also help solve the systemic problem of period poverty in our community,” explains Neal Adolph, Director of the CLC Labour Participation department at United Way of the Lower Mainland.

To help improve access to essential menstrual products and bring awareness to the issue of period poverty in Canada, London Drugs is working with United Way to make period products more accessible as part of a new campaign called Wellness.Period.

Between May 28^th and June 30^th, for every qualifying period hygiene product purchased at London Drugs, a financial or product donation will be made to United Way for distribution to local community organizations.

Period poverty has profound negative impacts on the lives of those who menstruate, including missed school or work, reduced social and community involvement as well as emotional stress and anxiety. Almost two-thirds of females aged 14 to 55 in Canada say they have had to miss out on an activity because of their period and concerns about not being able to access menstrual hygiene products, according to data from before the pandemic in 2019.

“Families are especially vulnerable to period poverty if they are struggling to cover monthly bills as many are right now as a result of the pandemic. The need for menstrual product donations has never been so high,” says Adolph.

Every menstrual hygiene product purchased at any London Drugs location or online at LondonDrugs.com this June will help United Way get much-needed products to vulnerable people who need them.

“Menstrual supply scarcity is typically associated with other countries. But it is happening right here in our communities,” says Clint Mahlman, President and COO of London Drugs. “Working with our vendor partners, our staff and our customers, we can build healthier, more caring and inclusive communities where everyone has access.”

For more information about the Wellness.Period campaign visit, londondrugs.com/wellnessperiod

ABOUT UNITED WAY

United Way is a federated network of 76 local United Way Centraide offices serving more than 5,000 communities across Canada, each registered as its own non-profit organization and governed by an independent volunteer-led local Board of Directors. Locally and nationally, our goal is the same – to create opportunities for a better life for everyone in our communities.

COVID-19 AstraZeneca Vaccine Appointment Bookings at London Drugs

March 31, 2021 – On March 30^th, the BC Ministry of Health worked with the BC Pharmacy Association (BCPhA) to respond to an urgent need to distribute COVID-19 AstraZeneca vaccine that was going to expire on Saturday, April 3^rd. The government wished to make available the vaccine with short expiry dates to those aged 55 to 65 living in the Lower Mainland that would launch the next day, March 31^st. While in a call between the BCPhA with British Columbia pharmacies participating in the program to alert them vaccine was on its way and how the rollout was to be conducted, the Ministry of Health sent out a news release saying appointments could start being booked on March 31st. There was no requirement by government to the BCPhA or pharmacies to wait to take appointments that would begin the next day.

Once the BC Government’s Ministry of Health made their public announcement on March 30^th that vaccines would be available in BC pharmacies, all our phones in our BC pharmacies began ringing off the hook. Given the timing of release of the government announcement, and the BCPhA briefing was just concluding, there was no way to communicate clearly to all London Drugs pharmacies and customers of the planned roll out. Many of our staff and pharmacies learned first from the government announcement before hearing from London Drugs pharmacy management.

Our three Lower Mainland pharmacies that were allotted vaccines, began taking down patient names and contact information, understanding the government’s first priority was to ensure the most important thing was to make sure all doses were going into people’s arms in the next 48 hours, before they would expire. Given London Drugs was only allotted 500 doses from the approximately 14,000 we understand the government had available, from all the phone calls of interest, we quickly filled up all the spots we were allotted.

We are very alarmed and disappointed at allegations made in social media that London Drugs allocations were provided to employees and other insiders. This is absolutely false, and incorrect and is a libelous and slanderous allegation to London Drugs reputation. The government informed the public via the news release over an hour before London Drugs own pharmacists were informed of the limited roll out. We respected the government’s requests to communicate in a certain order, and that order prevented any inside information for employees ahead of the public what was already calling in the thousands to acquire the limited vaccinations allocated to us.

There are 150 pharmacies offering the COVID-19 AstraZeneca vaccine in the Lower Mainland over the next two days. We understand from our counterparts their phones are also ringing off the hook which means people want to get vaccinated.

We realize there has been a lot of confusion around how these first appointment bookings were made with different communication provided to pharmacies vs. to the public, from the Ministry of Health. We hope the facts described above provides clarity on what has occurred over the past 24 hours. Moving forward, and we are hopeful many more doses to be available in the coming days, our online booking system for BC will be ready and up and running as it currently is for other provinces. The government solely controls which vaccines are allocated and in what quantity, so all inquiries need to be directed to the government on their next plans.

As we have stated from the beginning, pharmacies need to be nimble – ready to assist each provincial health authority for when they need us, and the more time we have to plan and work together, the smoother any roll out will be.

Some additional facts to keep in mind:

London Drugs has been providing pharmacists for months to the BC Government vaccination sites for several weeks, we have expert skill and experience in this area.
We have been vaccinating patients for influenza and other vaccines like travel for a very long time. We have a safe and effective history.
Our pharmacies have been assisting other provincial governments in the smooth rollout of using community pharmacy for vaccinations in Alberta for example.
We have been available to work with governments for months. We purchased -70 medical grade fridges last year on speculation the government may need to turn to pharmacy to help.
Pharmacies have been leading and practicing all health and safety protocols for the past year – the pharmacy is one of the safest places to have vaccines administered.

Tips for Children’s Face Masks

Wearing face masks has become part of our daily routines as we venture out in public, but now it’s becoming the new normal for children in schools. Wearing a face mask to school and in public places may be a bit of an adjustment for your child, but we have a few tips and solutions that can help make the transition easier.

Choosing a Face Mask

When choosing a face mask for your child, it’s important to make sure it:

Has an adjustable nose wire
Is made up of 2 or more layers with a pocket for a filter
Completely covers the mouth and nose area

Let’s face it, one mask is not going to fit everyone the same. Try trial and error and purchase a few different face mask brands for your child to try out at home. Let them wear them around the house to ensure the masks feels comfortable on their face, and does not slip off as they speak.

To help encourage your kids to wear face masks, find colours and patters they love! Involve them when purchasing their face masks. This way, they will be more inclined to wear something they helped pick out. As well, teach them how to put on and take off their face masks. They should be washing and sanitizing their hands before handling their face masks, not touching their faces throughout the day, and not sharing their face masks with others.

With face mask wearing come a few things like foggy glasses or ear pain. The solutions below may help alleviate these issues to make mask-wearing more comfortable for kids.

Snug Fit

If your child’s face mask is not fitting quite as well as you had hoped, an easy solution is to simply crisscross the mask straps before looping them over the ears. This will ensure a tighter fit against the face.

Foggy Glasses

If your child wears glasses, they will understand the frustration of having them fog up right after putting on a mask. To prevent this, try tucking the mask underneath the glasses and pinch the wired nose rim tight so that it fits snug against the nose and face.

Another trick is to use some dish soap to clean the lenses. Make sure you use it on both sides of each lens. This leaves a transparent layer that prevents the temperature changes that cause fogging. BONUS: The lenses also get a cleaning!

Ear Pain

Wearing a mask constantly can eventually lead to ear pain, especially when the straps are looped around your child’s ears. You can fix this by wearing it so that the mask straps wrap around their head instead. Simply attach one hair tie or elastic band to each mask strap. Secure the elastic bands together by looping each of them to a paper clip. London Drugs also sells mask extenders.

Hopefully you found these tips helpful to assist your kids in adjusting to wearing face masks at school. If you’re looking to stock up on more face masks, we’ve got you covered! Browse our full selection of reusable and disposable face masks here in the PPE section of our website.

London Drugs answers call from Kids Help Phone with new fundraising initiative to help meet surging demand for youth mental health support

In response to surging demand for youth mental health support in the province, London Drugs today announced the launch of a new fundraising campaign: BE KIND. Between March 12 and April 1, 25 cents from Carlton and Papyrus Greeting Cards at London Drugs will go directly to the Kids Help Phone. At the same time, the BE KIND campaign encourages British Columbians to lift each other up by sending handwritten cards of encouragement, positivity and appreciation to each other.

“We are all living in more isolated circumstances,” said Clint Mahlman, London Drugs President and Chief Operating Officer. “Sending uplifting, reassuring and positive handwritten cards to friends, families, and neighbours is one way to improve our overall wellbeing and sense of connection.”

Last year, Kids Help Phone experienced a 102 per cent increase in the number of calls, text and connections from youth in BC. But with many of the charity’s annual donation campaigns impacted by COVID-19, finding new ways to raise funds has been critical amid surging demand for services.

“It takes courage to reach out and it takes a community to stand behind our young people,” said Elena Manica, Director, Community Partnerships, Kids Help Phone. “With thanks to the generous support of London Drugs, Kids Help Phone’s safe and trusted support service is available 24/7 for young people in British Columbia, no matter where they are or what they need, we are here for them.”

For over 31 years, Kids Help Phone has been the only 24/7 mental health support service available to youth in Canada. Young people can text ‘TALK’ to 686868 any time and receive free and confidential support.

ABOUT KIDS HELP PHONE

Kids Help Phone is Canada’s only 24/7 e-mental health service offering free, confidential support in English and French to young people. As the country’s virtual care expert, we give millions of youth a safe, trusted space to talk over phone or through text or in self-directed supports in any moment of crisis or need. Through our digital transformation, we envision a future where every person in Canada is able to get the support they need, when they need it most, however they need it. Kids Help Phone gratefully relies on the generosity of donors, volunteers, stakeholder partners, corporate partners and governments to fuel and fund our programs. Learn more at KidsHelpPhone.ca

Top 3 New and Exciting Items at London Drugs This March

Spring has arrived, and there is more to be excited about then just spring flowers! (We do love tulips though.) Here is our run down of the top new and exciting items at London Drugs this month in store and online.

Ziplock Contain the Clutter Bags

Being organized is something many people have as a new years resolution. If you had this on your list but haven’t quite figured it out, consider these new bags to help. Conveniently sized in a large and small option, they are able to store phones, glasses, make up and more. These great bags help keep the inner workings of your bags or drawers organized and stylish.
Launching in late March, available in store and online.

Samsung Galaxy S21

Samsung have released their new S21! The new 5G capable phone with features like the strongest glass in a Samsung phone, 8K cinematic video, and super steady stabilization, it’s sure to impress. With three camera lenses, ultra wide, wide-angle, and telephoto, you’re sure to capture all the action no matter the scene. A 10MP front facing camera ensures crisp selfies and video calls. Samsung once again, raises the bar with the S21. Available in store now.

Nespresso Machines

You will soon be able to get your Nespresso machines at London Drugs. We are excited to announce that later this month we will have the Breville Nespresso Creatista, Inissia, and Vertuo coffee machines and the Delonghi Nespresso Inissia available in stores and online!

Easter Items

With Easter coming up in early April, we have our Easter selection out in store and online. With confectionary, décor, egg decorating kits and more, we have everything you need for Easter. Remember to get creative with the little ones and consider these 5 creative ways to celebrate Easter at home.

4 Ways to Connect with Family this Family Day Weekend

This family day weekend, connect with the ones you love both near and far. Here are 4 fun activities to do at home this upcoming long weekend.

1- Do a Family Puzzle

Do a puzzle together. A puzzle is a great way to spend time while building bonds and working towards a collective goal. With so many different puzzle options available, from landscapes to custom personalized photo puzzles, you are sure to find one the whole family will enjoy. Working together to solve it will lead to many laughs and memories.

2- Play Family Games

Family time around the table playing a board game is an interactive way to share a moment. Games like Clue, or Monopoly are classics that will provide a full evening of joy. (Keep an eye on the banker though) Other games like Operation are a great way to test your coordination skills, and teach the children about the mechanics of the body. Play one you have in the closet, or get a new one for this occasion, either way you will be sure to have a blast together.

3- Video Call Family

Video call your loved ones who can’t be with you this family day weekend. From your phone, computer or tablet, there are a wide variety of ways you can connect. If you’d like to get extra fancy, consider connecting your camera to your computer to use as a high quality webcam. Combine your call with playing a game that you and the family you call both have, and you can enjoy an interactive video call from afar and share laughs and memories. For more about how to optimize your video calling, check out this blog: 6 apps and tips to virtually connect with your family.

4- Play with Cameras

Cameras are ever present in the modern world, with most people having one in their pocket. However they are often overlooked for how much fun and entertainment they can provide. Consider a family photo challenge in the house. It can be as easy as selecting something to photograph and everyone takes a set number of shots. You can then all compare and discuss what inspired the angle, lighting, etc. You’d be surprised how artistic children can be with their unique perspective of the environment. There are lots of varieties of challenges you can do to engage the whole family, and spark creativity. You can also do this with family far away through video calling, and sharing the images online. Consider our 2020 photo month challenge for inspiration.

No matter what you get up to this family day weekend, have fun and stay safe!

Urgent Voluntary Recall of 5-Piece KN95 Mask

We are conducting an urgent voluntary recall of 5-piece KN95 mask product UPC 0-62823-74870-5 (item # 74870) imported by CTG Brands Inc.

It was determined some of the units were shipped with small holes along the seams of the masks which may affect the masks’ filtration efficacy. The products were sold as of September 1 in all London Drugs stores and the product supplier has advised London Drugs that it estimates about 18 per cent of the masks sold in stores may have had the noted deficiency.

London Drugs has notified Health Canada of the mask deficiency and will work with the product supplier, CTG Brands Inc., and follow Health Canada’s guidance regarding further review of the masks and this product recall.

Your health and safety is of utmost importance to London Drugs and we are taking this matter very seriously. You are encouraged to bring back this specific mask product to customer service for a refund or if you have any questions you can call London Drugs Customer Care Centre 1-888-991-2299 or email us at LDOnline@londondrugs.com

Thank you

Nature of the defect:

United Way and London Drugs calling on Canadians to help fill immediate need for menstrual product donations as pandemic leaves many struggling to afford necessities

COVID-19 AstraZeneca Vaccine Appointment Bookings at London Drugs