CARP calls for Retraction of Misleading advertising by Pharmacists

CARP calls for Retraction of Misleading Advertising by Pharmacists which deliberately misquotes a voluntary chairperson of a local CARP chapter.

Bruce Draper, the Chair of CARP’S Windsor-Essex chapter is inappropriately and without his consent or knowledge misquoted in a full page ad run in the Peterborough Examiner today by the people behind www.stopcuts.ca as saying “The McGuinty Government’s health care cuts will hurt seniors”.

“I and our members fully support the proposed changes to reduce the cost of generic drugs. What I actually said to the media was that IF the drug stores retaliate by shutting stores, reducing hours or withholding services as they are threatening to do, then seniors will be hurt – but by the retaliation not by the government proposals. At no time did I give the pharmacists association permission to use my name and certainly not to misquote me”, said Bruce Draper, the Chair of CARP’S Windsor-Essex chapter.

CARP members welcome the announcement of proposed reform to Ontario ’s Drug System which will lower the cost of generic drugs for all Ontarians and expand patient services provided by pharmacists.

In a poll of CARP ActionOnline readers, 91% of the over 3,200 respondents fully support the proposed changes and reject the retaliatory action taken by the drug store chains. The poll was issued the week after the announced changes.

“Our members are still making a clear distinction between the pharmacists and the drug store chains which are threatening this retaliatory action but that could easily change if the drug stores and pharmacists continue to target seniors in their messaging. Their fight is with the government and they should take their arguments directly to the Minister of Health and not try to improperly involve our members in their campaign. Whoever is behind the website www.Stopcuts.ca should first identify themselves and then delete the quote they attribute to our Windsor Chapter chair,” said Susan Eng, Vice President, Advocacy of CARP