TORONTO — Domenic Pilla has been appointed chief executive officer of McKesson Canada.

Pilla now guides Canada’s largest distributor of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies and oversees the integration of Rexall Health, which McKesson Canada acquired in late ­December. McKesson Canada picked up about 470 retail pharmacies in the Rexall deal.

Domenic Pilla

Pilla reports to Paul Julian, executive vice president and group president at McKesson Corp., the San Francisco-based company that owns McKesson Canada.

“Domenic Pilla is uniquely qualified to lead our expanded portfolio in Canada based on his previous experience as president of Shoppers Drug Mart [SDM] and McKesson Canada,” Julian said in a statement. “He brings deep knowledge of both the wholesale and retail sides of the business, and a proven track record of delivering results.”

Pilla was president and CEO of SDM from November 2011 until January 2015. He first joined McKesson Canada in 2001, as executive vice president. Pilla was promoted to president in December 2006. He left the company in late 2011 to take the helm at SDM, filling the vacancy created by the resignation of Jürgen Schreiber. Pilla departed SDM at the end of 2014 following a management shakeup at parent company Loblaw Cos.

Schreiber, who had served as CEO of Rexall Health since mid-2015, left the company upon completion of the McKesson buyout.

The buyout, originally announced in March, gained clearance from the Competition Bureau of Canada after McKesson Canada agreed to sell Rexall drug stores in 26 markets identified by the ­bureau.

The addition of Rexall/Pharma Plus stores makes McKesson Canada the largest drug store operator in Canada and the fourth-largest in North America.

Besides the Rexall/Pharma Plus locations, McKesson Canada’s network includes about 1,700 independent pharmacies under various banners across Canada.

McKesson Canada announced that Rexall Health will retain its brand and continue to have a dedicated management team overseen by Pilla, who will appoint a new Rexall Health president to provide day-to-day leadership for the chain.

The Rexall Health deal will strengthen McKesson Canada’s position in Canada’s pharmaceutical supply chain, the company said, and is a natural step for the two companies, which have worked together for more than two decades.

“The acquisition of Rexall Health supports McKesson’s commitment to drive value in the industry by improving health care solutions delivered in the pharmacy. It enhances our ability to provide best-in-class pharmacy care through an expanded retail footprint for patients across Canada,” commented John Hammergren, chairman and CEO of ­McKesson.
Canada’s health care environment is rapidly evolving, marked by a move of primary care into pharmacy and increasingly complex patient demands, Hammergren said.

“McKesson will bring together the strengths and expertise of our diverse portfolio to address challenges and opportunities in delivering the very best patient care,” he said.