CanniMed Therapeutics and PharmaChoice Enter into Canada’s First Exclusive Pharmacy Distribution Agr

CanniMed Therapeutics Inc. and PharmaChoice signed a letter of intent to collaborate on pharmacist education and the distribution, sale and marketing of medical cannabis products.

This industry-leading collaboration will see CanniMed responsible for producing and delivering accredited pharmacy education programs to PharmaChoice pharmacists and pharmacy technicians across Canada. In addition, CanniMed and PharmaChoice intend to enter a definitive agreement for distribution of medical cannabis through PharmaChoice pharmacists in Canada upon completion of the first provincial legislation change that allows such distribution.

"We are pleased that PharmaChoice recognizes the value of CanniMed’s core focus on professional education, our ability to produce standardized medical cannabis products in compliance with the government’s Good Manufacturing Practice standards, and our manufacturing capabilities to provide reliably safe products for our patients," said Brent Zettl, President and CEO of CanniMed. "We believe that our industry is at the cusp of an important shift that will expand the role of pharmacists in counselling patients and dispensing medical cannabis products."

PharmaChoice West CEO, Grady Brown, says that the dispensing of medical cannabis in Canadian pharmacies is a major step forward in Canada’s healthcare landscape.

"We recognize the incredible value medical cannabis has had on the lives of Canadians who have been prescribed the drug and found success in the therapy," says Brown. "It’s important that we are well prepared to assist patients in achieving their therapeutic goals within the medical cannabis arena."

PharmaChoice East CEO, Calvin LeRoux, echoes Brown’s remarks in highlighting the critical due diligence required in selecting the right partner to prepare the banner’s 700-plus independent pharmacies for the anticipated legislation.

"We are extremely pleased with the industry-leading research and science that CanniMed offers," says LeRoux. "The professional education opportunities and programs they will provide to our members is precisely the specialized approach and leadership we were seeking."

The definitive agreement between CanniMed and PharmaChoice will provide for PharmaChoice to distribute CanniMed products exclusively in exchange for CanniMed providing training programs for PharmaChoice pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. The definitive agreement will be completed within 60 days of the first legislation change that allows pharmacies to distribute medical cannabis.