Haleon, GlobalMedic and Shoppers Foundation Launch Women's Health Van Across the GTA

Haleon Canada, GlobalMedic and the Shoppers Foundation for Women's Health have launched a mobile "Women's Health Van" to bring free health and hygiene products, health information and connections to care directly to women in underserved communities across the Greater Toronto Area. The van, stocked with essential health and hygiene products, is deployed through community organizations that support newcomers, refugees, and women facing financial hardship, rather than operating as a standalone walk-up service. The initiative is most relevant to community pharmacists and pharmacy teams in the GTA who may see patients referred from, or asking about, the program, and to pharmacists elsewhere considering similar community outreach partnerships.

"We see firsthand how barriers to care can affect women and the communities around them," said Rahul Singh, founder and executive director of GlobalMedic, the humanitarian organization operating the van. "When women have access to the resources they need to manage their health, the benefits extend beyond the individual. This initiative helps us meet women where they are and connect them with resources that support healthier families, stronger communities and better health outcomes." Sarey Wulf, head of corporate affairs at Haleon Canada, said the goal was to address the reality that "self-care plays an important role in helping people manage their everyday health, but access isn't always equal," citing transportation, childcare, work schedules, language barriers and stigma as common obstacles. Paulette Minard, director of community investment at the Shoppers Foundation for Women's Health, called the initiative "a powerful example of how partnership can help bring care closer to the people who need it most."

The Shoppers Foundation for Women's Health is the charitable arm of Shoppers Drug Mart. The foundation set a goal in 2022 of contributing $50 million by 2026 to programs improving access to women's healthcare, and says it reached that target ahead of schedule; this van is one of the programs funded through that broader commitment. Neither the exact funding amount for the van itself nor a specific list of participating community-organization partners has been published.

Practice guidance for pharmacists

• If you practise in the GTA, expect some patients -- particularly newcomers, refugees, or those facing financial hardship -- to mention the Women's Health Van or arrive with products obtained from it; be ready to answer questions about products they may not recognize.
• Community organizations serving these populations are the van's access point, not pharmacies directly -- if a patient needs this kind of support and doesn't already have a connection to a community organization, that's the referral to make rather than expecting the van itself to visit a pharmacy.
• Use this as a reminder to ask about access barriers -- transportation, childcare, work schedules, language, stigma -- when a patient seems to be missing routine self-care products or follow-up care, since these are the same barriers driving this initiative.
• If your own pharmacy or professional network is considering a similar outreach partnership, note that this program pairs a product manufacturer (Haleon), a humanitarian logistics organization (GlobalMedic) and a retail pharmacy chain's charitable foundation (Shoppers) rather than pharmacy staff delivering the service directly.

The van adds to a broader set of programs funded through the Shoppers Foundation for Women's Health's women's-health-equity commitment. No timeline has been published for expanding the service beyond the Greater Toronto Area.