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Alberta pharmacies are no longer permitted to offer Air Miles or other loyalty rewards to patients obtaining prescription drugs, following a ruling Friday from the Alberta Court of Appeal.

The Alberta College of Pharmacists has the authority over its profession to impose a ban on “inducements” — a move the college introduced in 2014 but had been legally stymied from implementing, the appeal court said.

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“It’s an important decision,” college registrar Greg Eberhart said Friday. “This focuses on how pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and owners of pharmacies conduct themselves.”

The appeal court’s decision overturned a 2016 ruling from Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Vital Ouellette, who determined the ban was outside the college’s mandate since it amounted to interference in the way private businesses choose to operate and compete with each other.

However, the appeal court found Ouellette erred in a number of respects, including applying the wrong legal standard to evaluate the policy.