Canadian Grocer Sobeys Rolling Out E-Prescribing Service Across All Stores

Canadian grocer Sobeys Inc. is rolling out an e-prescribing service chain-wide following a successful test in nine locations across three provinces.

PrescribeIT, said to be Canada's only national not-for-profit e-prescribing service, will come to all Sobeys, Safeway, FreshCo, Thrifty Foods, Lawtons, Foodland and IGA retail pharmacies across the country over the next two years. Sobeys is continuing to work with the provincial ministries of health and municipalities nationwide to launch the service at all stores in 2019 and 2020.

Made possible through a partnership with Canada Health Infoway, PrescribeIT allows physicians and prescribers to send prescriptions and renewal requests electronically to any patient's preferred pharmacy. This allows for more efficient patient care and greater safety and accuracy when filling prescriptions.

"We are proud to partner with Canada Health Infoway to lead the implementation of this innovative e-prescription service to our customers and pharmacy patients across the country," said Jedd Wood, VP and general manager, Sobeys National Pharmacy. "The adoption of the PrescribeIT platform in pharmacy retail locations across Canada will provide significant benefit to patients, physicians and pharmacy teams. By making our prescription processes more efficient, pharmacy teams will be able to dedicate more time to patient care and creating better pharmacy experiences."

Sobeys announced its pilot of PrescribeIT in December 2018, claiming to be the first pharmacy retailer in Atlantic Canada to offer the free service for patients. The pilot involved two Lawtons and Sobeys pharmacies each in Saint John, New Brunswick; one Sobeys and two Safeway pharmacies in Lethbridge, Alberta and two Sobeys pharmacies in Ontario's Waterloo Region.

Based in Stellarton, Nova Scotia, Sobeys Inc. owns or franchises about 1,500 stores in all 10 provinces under retail banners that include Sobeys, Safeway, IGA, Foodland, FreshCo, Thrifty Foods, Farm Boy and Lawtons Drug Stores, as well as more than 350 retail fuel locations. It employs 120,000 associates.