Coalition for Consumer Choice against pharmacy rewards point ban

The Coalition for Consumer Choice has launched a petition calling on the Alberta government to stop the Alberta College of Pharmacists imposed ban that would prohibit Albertans from earning loyalty points for pharmacy purchases.

The college announced earlier this month it would ban the issuing of such reward points for pharmacy purchases starting May 1.

This comes at the heels of an announcement made by Sobeys Inc. last Tuesday. It plans to file a legal challenge against the college on behalf of Sobeys and Safeway.

READ: Sobeys prescribes legal battle over Alberta pharmacy rewards point ban

The CCC has launched a petition dubbed "I Earned It" at www.iearneditpetition.ca — they're asking the government to intervene and stop the ban.

READ: Loyalty point ban has B.C. grocers seeing red

"Removing the loyalty points for prescription purchases would be unfair to consumers and anticompetitive," said Bruce Cran, president of the Consumers' Association of Canada, a group supporting the coalition. "Government needs to ensure issues of consumer choice are left to consumers and the marketplace to decide."