1. Shoppers Drug Mart: Our Approach to Government Relations Presentation to the Canadian Assistive Devices Association 19 September 2012

2. What is Government Relations? Process of informing decision-makers on particular issues to help shape public- policy. Involves: 1.Representing or supporting a cause or issue on behalf of oneself and/or others; 2.Building a winning case with governments through evidence and robust business cases; 3.Establishing relationships with other groups to help promote your message. XYZ will help business and create jobs From the research, XYZ seems the best option to boost growth Of the options, XYZ is best for our community

3. Why is Government and Stakeholder Relations Important? Shoppers Drug Mart focuses on building partnerships with government and third party stakeholders to develop relationships to address and influence legislation, regulations and policies to secure such funding. Building partnership with government and stakeholders strategically enhances an organizations interests by being better able to anticipate future developments, influence them as necessary and identify new opportunities to create value. The best practices of government relations and stakeholder management go further in trying to shape future policies, legislation and regulations, not those merely in their organization’s immediate interests, but in line with their forward-looking strategies. The partnerships that Shoppers Drug Mart builds with other key stakeholders, including pharmacy associations, faculties of pharmacy, business associations and think-tanks and patient and disease associations will influence how we are viewed by external audiences, including government, and will also allow us to build alliances to help better influence public policy.

4. Value of Engaging with Elected Officials Public policy is shaped by business, the media, activist groups, professional organizations, social and economic groups and individuals who believe strongly in an issue(s) By educating your elected official about your organizations issues you help them better understand the local issues and the positive role that your organization plays A proactive approach will result in better working relationships with elected officials and establish an environment that allows for more understanding and future cooperation Keeping elected officials informed and up-to-date on your activities can also help insulate you from problems down the road. If a crisis does erupt, you will benefit from having an already establish relationship with key elected officials Engagement with government doesn’t happen over night: it is process of building relationships with a long-term objective, the end result including numerous benefits to you and the community

5. Key elements of Government Relations Role integrate within the business and expand beyond pure government outreach Process develop tried and tested process and engage the business Measurement show impact of government on business and individual impact on policy 1 3 2

6. Government and Stakeholder Engagement – Key Objectives Critical Success Factors: Commitment to a long-term strategy Engagement of multiple organizational levels, aligned to the strategy Promote issues with officials and politically from “both sides of the house” Need to ensure alignment with industry associations as a key driver of “pharmacy” issues Mitigate impact from changing policy and regulation Build awareness of role of pharmacists in delivering healthcare by building and maintaining relationships at both political and bureaucratic levels as a platform to resolve unforeseen issues Risk Management Provide non-partisan solutions to public policy challenges facing government Thought Leadership Leverage participation in associations and build partnerships with stakeholders Leverage corporate philanthropy Increase our Influence

7. Elements of a Strong Strategy Fully marries organizational priorities with government agenda Leverages organizational opportunities into the government agenda Builds sufficient political “brand” capital to advance strategic priorities 1 2 3

8. Process Overview Understanding the business & its surroundings Examining potential issues & opportunities Prioritisation Develop strategy, messages & materials Implementation & continuous appraisal 1 5 4 3 2

9. Reminder: Two Parts to Effective Government Relations Internal Getting sufficient buy-in to gather information to tackle problems and use government to boost competitive advantage. Guide the organization on the factors that influence policy. External Knowing the process, who to contact and when. Able to anticipate issues arising and build coalitions around a cause. Provide understanding of reality outside political bubble.

10. Reality Check Build foundations Preparation comes first. Going into meetings without a strategy and strong messages can do more harm than good. Be patient Everything takes more time in government. Once credibility is established things get easier, but nothing will happen overnight. Be realistic Larger policy changes can take months or years to go through all the stages of government. Balance objectives to include shorter term, achievable goals.

11. Summary 1 2 3 Determine type of role you want to play Work with organization to set priorities Develop strategy around targets & issue