Health questions? “Ask Away.” PC Health™ launches new “Built in Canada for Canadians” AI-powered health chat

• The only AI-powered chat created expressly for all Canadians, connecting people to trusted, practical information, and appropriate care options
• Personalized answers to health questions that Canadians can trust
• Backed by more than 1,000 Canadian clinical sources
• All health chat conversations are stored in Canada and are protected under Canadian privacy laws

BRAMPTON, Ontario, Sept. 10, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, PC Health™ launched PC Chat™, a free AI-powered health tool built in Canada, based on Canadian clinical guidelines, providing Canadians a convenient place to ask health questions and get plain-language information in real time.

A Media Snippet accompanying this announcement is available by clicking on this link.

“Canadians are asking health questions every day, but more information doesn't always bring more clarity,” said Lauren Steinberg, Executive Vice President and Chief Digital Officer, Loblaw Companies Limited. “We built PC Chat to give Canadians a place to find trusted information and a clear path to next steps. It’s the most comprehensive AI health tool built specifically for Canadians, informed by Canadian clinical expertise and backed by an advisory board of leading Canadian clinical experts."

New research commissioned by PC Health™ found that 88 per cent of Canadians searched online for health information in the past year, yet nearly half (46 per cent) remain unsure whether the information they find is accurate, one-third (33 per cent) encounter conflicting advice, and more than one-quarter (26 per cent) say there is simply too much information to sort through.¹

“As a physician, I see an important role for technology in helping Canadians access reliable, trusted health information while they navigate a healthcare system that is under increasing pressure,” said Dr. Anthony Crocco, Chair of Shoppers Drug Mart’s Clinical AI Advisory Committee. “PC Chat has been carefully reviewed for Canada's healthcare context. It is designed to help people feel more informed, and support – not replace – care from healthcare professionals.”

Built in Canada, for Canadians.
Designed for the Canadian healthcare system, PC Chat™ is grounded in more than 1,000 Canadian clinical sources that have been reviewed and validated for Canadian healthcare relevance, reliability and inclusivity. Canadian medical professionals from our Clinical AI Advisory Committee have also been a part of building it from the start and shaping how it works, the information it relies on, and how it guides people toward appropriate next steps.

Vetted through credentialed third-party advisors, the chat was designed to ensure relevance to every province and territory, including underserved patient populations. This includes adaptation and testing to deliver an equivalent user experience on the French-language version launching later this fall.

Personalized, with privacy built in.
PC Chat™ was designed with privacy and safety at its core. Canadians can use the chat confidently, knowing their health chat conversations are stored in Canada – and are protected by Canada’s privacy laws.

Canadians control their information and they decide what they choose to share. A more personalized experience is available when a user chooses to connect their PC Health™ or Shoppers Drug Mart digital pharmacy profile, giving the chat more context about their health history and helping make responses more applicable to their individual circumstances.

“Pharmacists tailor patient conversations based on their clinical knowledge and that patient’s medication history,” said Nabil Chikh, Senior Vice President, Pharmacy, Shoppers Drug Mart. “PC Chat helps users navigate next steps based on the questions they ask, such as when to visit a healthcare provider, and deciding where to go, so they can come to healthcare conversations feeling even more prepared.”

Helping Canadians find the right care.
With Canada’s healthcare system under increasing pressure, long wait times can make it difficult to get timely answers. PC Chat™ will never replace doctors, pharmacists, or other healthcare providers, but Canadians deserve more options – a tool based on Canadian medical guidelines, with oversight from Canadian health professionals. That’s where PC Health™ comes in. It helps Canadians find the care they need and feel better-equipped for their healthcare appointments.

A Media Snippet accompanying this announcement is available by clicking on this link.

Ask Away. Get informed. Know what you can do next.
To celebrate the launch of PC Chat™, PC Health™ is launching a campaign called “Ask Away” which will be brought to life through a public aerial drone experience over Toronto. Inspired by the health questions many Canadians find themselves asking late at night, the experience is designed to illuminate those moments of uncertainty and remind people that getting informed can be easier than they think.

Torontonians along the waterfront can look to the skyline at approximately 11:00 p.m. ET on September 10, as a series of health-related questions appear overhead during a 15-minute aerial display. The experience will conclude with a simple prompt: Ask Away.

Available now.
The new AI-powered health chat is available now in most Canadian provinces on the PC Heath™ and Shoppers Drug Mart apps and websites. It will become available in New Brunswick and Quebec (for Pharmaprix and PC Santé app users in Quebec) later this fall.

For medical, safety, or mental health emergencies, users should call 911 or seek immediate help from emergency services. While the tool may remind users to contact appropriate urgent support, it is not to be used for crisis or emergency situations.

About Loblaw Companies Limited
Loblaw is Canada’s food and pharmacy leader, and the nation’s largest retailer. Loblaw provides Canadians with grocery, pharmacy and healthcare services, other health and beauty products, apparel, general merchandise, financial services and wireless mobile products and services. With more than 2,800 locations, Loblaw, its franchisees and Associate-owners employ more than 220,000 full- and part-time employees, making it one of Canada’s largest private sector employers.

Loblaw’s purpose, Live Life Well, puts first the needs and well-being of Canadians who make one billion transactions annually in the company’s stores. Loblaw is positioned to meet and exceed those needs in many ways: convenient locations; more than 1,100 grocery stores that span the value spectrum from discount to specialty; full-service pharmacies at nearly 1,400 Shoppers Drug Mart and Pharmaprix locations and in close to 500 grocery stores; PC Financial services; Joe Fresh fashion and family apparel; and four of Canada’s top consumer brands in Life Brand, Farmer’s Market, no name and President's Choice. For more information, visit Loblaw’s website at www.loblaw.ca and Loblaw's issuer profile at www.sedarplus.ca.

For all media inquiries, contact: pr@loblaw.ca.

For additional b-roll clips, please visit: https://www.youtube.com/@PCHealthApp

Source:
(1) Omnibus survey conducted by Harris Poll Canada, n=1,535 Canadian adults, July 29 to 31, 2026.