Minnedosa, Man.-based internet pharmacy RxNorth.com is shutting down its distribution operation there and moving it to a Winnipeg company, due to American concerns over drug safety.

RxNorth.com, which is operated by Mediplan Global Health Inc., will transfer its dipsensing operation to another company, CanadaDrugs.com, which is based in Winnipeg.

About 15 pharmacists and support staff are affected by the move, which does not affect the pharmacy's call centre in Minnedosa. Before the move, the company employed 89 people in Minnedosa and Winnipeg.

"This decision was made in the interest of continuity of patient care, medication supply and to maintain the same high standards of customer service and safety that RxNorth.com has always provided," RxNorth.com officials said in a statement Tuesday.

Minnedosa Mayor Duane Lacoste said Wednesday he was sorry to see the company scale back its presence in the town, which is located 45 kilometres north of Brandon.

"They certainly were an excellent corporate citizen to our community," Lacoste said.

"They provided, of course, employment opportunities for all of these people. They provided funding for amateur sports, provided a large cash grant to our golf course."

The company says the latest move is being made to satisfy safety concerns of American regulators.

In late August, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration advised American consumers not to purchase several popular prescription drugs from RxNorth.com and other websites that have their orders filled by Mediplan Global Health, also known as Mediplan Prescription Plus Pharmacy.

The USDA claims the drugs shipped by Mediplan, including Celebrex, Lipitor and Propecia, are counterfeit. A Mediplan official called the allegations "completely false."