INDEPENDENT PHARMACIES SPRUCE THEMSELVES UP
By Adnews Staff
As part of a two-year restructuring program called Pharmacy 2000, Toronto-based Drug Trading Co. Ltd. will launch a new advertising campaign to promote Canada's roughly 1,500 independent pharmacies. Drug Trading is the umbrella organization that encompasses the I.D.A., Guardian, RxCentral and Community Drug Mart drug store banners. The heart of the program is to be a new umbrella brand called PharmAssist, which will offer member independents a range of integrated retail services, managed care programs and dispensary technologies that are designed to help them provide a higher level of service with greater efficiency while maintaining the atmosphere of a community pharmacy. In addition, The Watt Design Group of Toronto has developed eight prototype store redesigns which will be tested in various locations across the country beginning this spring. To promote PharmAssist and the concept of independent pharmacies in general, Drug Trading will launch a campaign in the fall which will run through to the end of the year. It will include exposure on television and radio, in print and in direct mail. The campaign was created by 2 Door Communications and consultant Brad Robbins, with media planning by Harrison, Young, Pesonen & Newell Inc. and public relations by Strategic Objectives, all of Toronto. "We intend to be the voice of independent pharmacies and talk about the benefits of independent pharmacies directly to consumers," Drug Trading president and CEO Larry Latowsky told Adnews yesterday.