Rexall launches 'wake-up call' to address critical issue of drug adherence - Not taking medication as prescribed hospitalizes up to 300,000 annually -

    TORONTO, Nov. 6 /CNW/ - Rexall Pharma Plus and Rexall are introducing new
solutions-Rexall Reminder and Rx Ready-to help address the problem of drug
adherence and assist Canadians in better managing their prescription
medications.
    Every year 40% of Canadians don't take their medicine properly. As a
result up to 300,000 people are hospitalized annually and as many as 10,000
die.
    "Non-adherence to medication results in unnecessary illness and death,"
says Dr. Robert B. Coambs, President and CEO, Health Promotion Research, Inc.
"Cost-effective interventions to encourage medication compliance are needed in
order to reduce the human toll created by this entirely preventable health
care problem."
    Rexall Reminder helps patients stay on top of their prescription
medications. This new service is the first in Canada to automatically remind
people to renew their prescriptions. Rexall Reminder calls or emails patients
five days before their prescription is due for refill to remind them to
reorder. Rx Ready notifies patients when their prescription is filled and
waiting for pick-up. This service will reduce the time they wait for their
prescription to be filled and eliminates unnecessary trips to the pharmacy if
their medication isn't ready.
    "The fact is your medication won't work if you don't take it," adds Andy
Giancamilli, CEO, Katz Group Canada Ltd./Rexall. "Rexall Reminder is a
proactive tool designed to let people know their prescription needs to be
refilled before it runs out. Along with Rx Ready, it lets patients benefit
from a new kind of collaboration with their pharmacist to help ensure the best
management of their overall health."
    Rexall Reminder and Rx Ready are new additions to a suite of Rexall
services designed to help people better manage their health. Others include:-   Replenish and Renew Nutrient Depletion Program: Some medications can
        alter the body's ability to absorb, metabolize or eliminate certain
        nutrients or vitamins. Rexall pharmacists are trained to advise their
        patients on a number of simple solutions to prevent nutrient
        depletion before it becomes a serious health problem.

    -   Rexall Medication Reminder: Keeping track of what to take at the
        right time every day can be challenging for people with multiple
        prescriptions. Rexall Medication Reminders are blister cards that
        organize medications by day to make following medical directions
        easier and more accurate.

    -   Rexall Meds Check: Rexall Meds Check was implemented for people who
        are taking three or more chronic medications to ensure the
        medications they've been prescribed are compatible with each other,
        avoiding the risk of harmful drug interactions and helping to resolve
        any drug or disease-related side effects."We want to make prescription management more convenient by reminding
patients about refills, and helping to build stronger patient-pharmacist
relationships," concludes Giancamilli. "Overall, our goal at Rexall is to help
Canadians prevent illness as much as possible."

    About Katz Group Canada Ltd.

    Katz Group Canada Ltd. is Canada's leading integrated retail pharmacy
network encompassing more than 1,500 pharmacies across the country. Under the
Rexall family of pharmacies umbrella brand, Katz Group's core banners are
connected through the community spirit embodied in Rexall Brand and the
collective commitment to the health and wellness of their patients. Pharmacy
banners in Canada include Rexall Drug Stores, Pharma Plus, Rexall Pharma Plus,
The Medicine Shoppe, Guardian, I.D.A., and Meditrust Pharmacy-Canada's
national mail-order pharmacy. All Katz Group Canada Ltd. banners exclusively
carry Rexall(TM) Brand. For more information on Katz Group Canada Ltd.
pharmacies visit www.rexall.ca.

For further information: Michelle Lee, Director, Corporate Relations,
Katz Group Canada Ltd., [phone], [e-mail]; Holly Roy, Polaris
Public Relations Inc., [phone], [e-mail]