April 18, 2014 by Bob O'Meara, Adam Pressman and Chain Drug Review
Issue 04-28-2014, Opinion
In today’s hyper-connected, cost-pressured, health-driven environment, there’s no shortage of ideas and issues impacting the health care value chain. Understanding which disruptors are true issues or opportunities and which ones are distractions is a critical element in developing a business strategy. Most of the discussions regarding health care today in the retail pharmacy sector have
April 4, 2014 by Chain Drug Review
Issue 04-07-2014, News
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Rite Aid Corp. has launched an innovative, first-of-its-kind health management initiative that links its stores to local doctors with the aim of providing comprehensive care to individuals with chronic health conditions. The Rite Aid Health Alliance is an integrated care model that seeks to help patients achieve health improvement goals established by
April 4, 2014 by Chain Drug Review
Issue 04-07-2014, News
WASHINGTON — A buildup of bipartisan opposition on Capitol Hill, along with negative reactions from patient groups, businesses, insurers and others, convinced the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) not to proceed “at this time” with several controversial changes to the Medicare Part D prescription drug program. A CMS draft regulation that had been
April 4, 2014 by Chain Drug Review
Issue 04-07-2014, News
WASHINGTON — More than 400 pharmacists, industry executives, students and other pharmacy advocates from 40 states attended the sixth annual NACDS RxImpact Day on Capitol Hill. Meetings were conducted with more than 80% of the members of the House and Senate — including 136 of 139 lawmakers serving on committees with jurisdiction on health care
April 4, 2014 by Chain Drug Review
Issue 04-07-2014, News
KISSIMMEE, Fla. — CVS Caremark Corp. is helping drive the shift from mass to personalized retailing, senior vice president of merchandising and retail pricing Judy Sansone said at the IRI Summit here last month. With its individualized circulars and store clusters, the chain has recognized that customers vary widely even within the same demographic group,
April 4, 2014 by Chain Drug Review
Issue 04-07-2014, News
DEERFIELD, Ill. — In an effort to optimize its store base and cut costs, Walgreen Co. plans to close 76 unprofitable outlets between now and August. The store closings expected to boost earnings before interest and taxes by $40 million to $50 million a year beginning in fiscal 2015, Walgreens chief executive officer Greg Wasson
April 4, 2014 by Chain Drug Review
Issue 04-07-2014, News
TORONTO — Loblaw Cos. has closed its acquisition of Shoppers Drug Mart, finalizing the deal a week after Canada’s Competition Bureau approved the transaction. The $12.4 billion (Canadian) acquisition, announced in July, brings together Canada’s largest supermarket operator and Canada’s largest drug chain. “The most successful partnerships are grounded in strengths that complement each other,”
April 4, 2014 by Chain Drug Review
Issue 04-07-2014, News
SAN FRANCISCO — Managed care health plans serving low-income patients in California don’t have to consider pharmacies’ costs for obtaining prescription drugs when establishing Medi-Cal reimbursement rates, according to a state appeals court ruling issued last month. Federal law requires rates to be high enough to provide “quality care” and “adequate access” to drugs for
April 4, 2014 by Chain Drug Review
Issue 04-07-2014, News
NEW YORK — The attorneys general of 28 states and territories are urging the chief executive officers of Walgreen Co., Rite Aid, Corp., Walmart, Kroger Co. and Safeway Inc. to remove tobacco products from their stores. The attorneys general have sent letters to the retailers’ CEOs calling on the retail pharmacy operators to follow the
April 4, 2014 by Chain Drug Review
Issue 04-07-2014, News
WASHINGTON — Congress is considering legislation that would give pharmacists expanded recognition as health care providers. Reps. Brett Guthrie (R., Ky.), G.K. Butterfield (D., N.C.) and Todd Young (R., Ind.) last month introduced H.R. 4190, which aims to widen the scope of health services that pharmacists provide via Medicare. The bill would amend Title XVIII
April 4, 2014 by Chain Drug Review
Issue 04-07-2014, News
WASHINGTON — Walmart and Rite Aid Corp. are among the organizations to side with the Generic Pharmaceutical Association (GPhA) in its opposition to the Food and Drug Administration’s proposed rule on prescription generic drug labeling that would require manufacturers to change the prescribing information on their products if they receive new safety information, a change
April 4, 2014 by Chain Drug Review
Issue 04-07-2014, News
CAMP HILL, Pa. — Dedra Castle, an experienced human resources executive in the retail arena, has joined Rite Aid Corp. as executive vice president and chief human resources officer. She will be responsible for all aspects of human resources, including training, recruitment, talent management, compensation and benefits, labor relations, leadership development, and diversity. Castle will
April 4, 2014 by Chain Drug Review
Issue 04-07-2014, News
WASHINGTON — Although the health care exchange enrollment deadline was March 31, the Obama administration, citing a last-minute surge in demand, built in some leeway for those consumers who were actively engaged in the process of signing up for health insurance. As of late March, more than 6 million people had signed up for medical
April 4, 2014 by Chain Drug Review
Issue 04-07-2014, News
NEW YORK — Patient-centered technology has captured the attention of retail pharmacies and their vendor partners as both strive to address current concerns regarding such issues as patient compliance, the safe use of pharmaceutical products and medication therapy management. Although the present challenges are significant in their own right, retailers and technology vendors are looking