London Drugs stores have been closed “until further notice” across Western Canada after the retail and pharmacy chain became the victim of a weekend cyberattack.
The incident was discovered April 28 and all retail outlets were closed that morning out of “an abundance of caution.”
“London Drugs immediately undertook countermeasures to protect its network and data, including retaining leading third-party cybersecurity experts to assist with containment, remediation and to conduct a forensic investigation,” the statement said.
“At this time, we have no reason to believe that customer or employee data has been impacted.”
The pharmacy company, which is headquartered in B.C., said it has hired third-party experts to help fix and investigate the incident.
The company did not reveal any additional details about the cybersecurity attack, but said the “incident is the utmost priority for us.”
Until stores reopen, pharmacists will also be “standing by” to help customers with urgent prescription refills and other needs, the company added, noting that those in need of assistance should call their local pharmacy to make arrangements.
London Drugs has more than 80 stores across B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba employing more than 8,000 people.
This is not the first time a cyberattack has stalled business at a Canadian pharmacy.
Empire Company, which owns 1,500 stores across Canada, was the victim of a cyber-security breach in the fall of 2022. The company, which owns Sobeys, Lawtons, IGA, Safeway, Foodland, and Needs originally kept quiet about the breach, calling it an “information technology systems issue” that caused some of its pharmacies to have difficulty fulfilling prescriptions.
It wasn’t until February of 2023 that the Maritime-based firm acknowledged the hack and sent letters to customers and employees saying their personal information may have been compromised. The company was criticized at the time for initially keeping silent about the breach.
