September 9, 2011 by Chain Drug Review
Issue 09-12-2011, News
WOONSOCKET, R.I. — Incoming CVS/pharmacy president Mark Cosby is a good fit with the chain, industry analysts say. Cosby, 52, who was president of stores for Macy’s Inc., will take the helm at the CVS Caremark Corp.’s retail pharmacy unit on October 1. He succeeds Larry Merlo, who led the drug store business before being
September 9, 2011 by Chain Drug Review
Issue 09-12-2011, News
BOSTON — Mother Nature took a shot at the National Association of Chain Drug Stores Pharmacy and Technology Conference here late last month, but in the end was unable to derail the premier event for leaders in the retail pharmacy business. Hurricane Irene’s progress up the East Coast during the first two days of the
September 9, 2011 by Chain Drug Review
Issue 09-12-2011, News
BOSTON — Hailing community pharmacy’s unsurpassed value, industry leaders urged attendees at the NACDS Pharmacy and Technology Conference to ensure its future vitality. “Together, we have a powerful story to tell,” said conference chairman Debra Garza, Walgreen Co.’s divisional vice president of government and community relations. “We need to stand up. We need to tell
September 9, 2011 by Chain Drug Review
Issue 09-12-2011, News
BOSTON — Community pharmacies are reaping the financial rewards as more physicians across the United States embrace electronic prescribing, the head of the nation’s e-prescribing network said at the NACDS Pharmacy & Technology Conference here. “E-prescribing is well beyond the tipping point,” Surescripts president and chief executive officer Harry Totonis said, noting how in three
September 9, 2011 by Chain Drug Review
Issue 09-12-2011, News
NEW YORK — Initial reports from chain drug retailers with stores in the path of Hurricane Irene indicate relatively modest damage. Cost estimates were unavailable at presstime. At CVS/pharmacy, the tally was five drug stores shuttered, including three in New Jersey, which saw widespread flooding for several days after Irene unleashed her wrath. Extensive flooding
September 9, 2011 by Chain Drug Review
Issue 09-12-2011, News
ST. JOHN’S, Newfoundland — If a consensus was discernible at the Canadian Medical Association’s (CMA) general council annual meeting here last month, it was that how health care is delivered should focus on what is best for patients, not on politics. Nevertheless, discussion on the recommendations for improving Canada’s substantially publicly funded health system, embodied
September 9, 2011 by Chain Drug Review
Issue 09-12-2011, News
BOSTON — Bartell Drugs chief operating officer Ed Littleton was the recipient of this year’s Harold W. Pratt Award at the National Association of Chain Drug Stores Pharmacy & Technology Conference here. Littleton has spent more than four decades in chain drug retailing, including the last 20 years with Seattle-based Bartell. Prior to that, he
September 9, 2011 by Chain Drug Review
Issue 09-12-2011, News
DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreen Co. has named Thomas Sabatino Jr. as executive vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary. The 52-year-old Sabatino, who has previously been general counsel for United Airlines Inc., Schering-Plough Corp., Baxter International Inc. and American Medical International Inc., replaces Dana Green, who recently retired after 37 years with Walgreens. Executives praised
August 31, 2011 by Chain Drug Review
Issue 08-29-2011, News
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Citing a potential anticompetitive impact on patients, consumers, the market “and the entire health care delivery system,” the National Association of Chain Drug Stores and the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) have written to the Federal Trade Commission to formally express their opposition to the proposed merger of pharmacy benefit managers Express
August 31, 2011 by Chain Drug Review
Issue 08-29-2011, News
ATLANTA — A federal appeals panel has struck down the core component of President Obama’s health care overhaul, shifting the question of whether Americans can be required to buy health insurance a step closer to the Supreme Court. A divided three-judge panel of the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Congress overstepped its authority
August 31, 2011 by Chain Drug Review
Issue 08-29-2011, News
TORONTO — Shoppers Drug Mart Corp. (SDM) has appointed Dr. Dorian Lo as executive vice president of pharmacy and health care, and in that position he will lead the company’s pharmacy department and health solutions team. Lo’s career spans health care and pharmacy in both Canada and the United States. He graduated from the University
August 31, 2011 by Chain Drug Review
Issue 08-29-2011, News
DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens has unveiled a new value-oriented store brand chainwide. Called Nice!, the brand includes more than 400 grocery and household products at prices up to 30% below those of national brands. The 7,750-store chain plans to have most Nice! products on shelves by early 2012. Many of the items go beyond what
August 31, 2011 by Chain Drug Review
Issue 08-29-2011, News
WASHINGTON — The generic drug industry and the Food and Drug Administration have reached tentative agreement to establish a user fee program in which companies would pay as much as $299 million initially to hasten drug approvals and increase the frequency of FDA inspections of foreign drug plants. Since discussions between the industry and the
August 31, 2011 by Chain Drug Review
Issue 08-29-2011, News
MISSISSAUGA, Ontario — Retail veteran Ken Keelor has been named chief merchandising officer at Katz Group. In that role, Keelor will oversee all merchandising and marketing functions for the Rexall family of pharmacies. Before joining Katz, he held a number of executive positions over 10 years at multibanner Canadian grocery chain Sobeys Inc. He most