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Retail News Breaks Archives Rising gas prices have cast a cloud over recent same-store sales gains by mass retailers, yet the hike in fuel costs — and overall prices due to inflation — stands to have less of an impact on drug store chains, industry analysts say. The Ontario Pharmacists' Association is hailing the Ontario government's decision to give senior citizens and Ontario Drug Benefit recipients more access to pharmacist consultations. The National Association of Chain Drug Stores Foundation has elected Coca-Cola Co. executive Diane Wallace as a member of its board of directors. Makers of over-the-counter, single-ingredient liquid acetaminophen medicine for children plan to transition these pediatric products to one concentration, according to the Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA). Boosted by a contract with a large pharmacy benefit management client, CVS Caremark Corp. saw healthy sales gains in its 2011 first quarter, with earnings topping analysts' forecast. Mary Sammons, chairman of Rite Aid Corp., and Tom Ryan, chairman of CVS Caremark Corp., received chain pharmacy's highest honor last night as the National Association of Chain Drug Stores presented them with the Sheldon W. Fantle Lifetime Achievement Award. Robust front-end business, boosted by a later Easter holiday this year, drove a rise in comparable-store sales at Walgreen Co. in April. The new chairman of the National Association of Chain Drug Stores sees a "new normal" in terms of the level of value the retail pharmacy trade group provides its members. Howard McLure, former president of CVS Caremark Corp.'s pharmacy benefit management unit, has been named chairman of change:healthcare inc. and is slated to become the health care cost transparency firm's chief executive officer. Pharmacy services revenue climbed by double digits in the 2011 first quarter at BioScrip Inc. CVS Caremark Corp. has relaunched its Caremark.com website to enhance the online experience for its pharmacy benefit management members. Walgreen Co. is donating $100,000 to the American Red Cross in response to the deadly storms and tornadoes that recently hit the Southeast. At its 2011 Annual Meeting, the National Association of Chain Drug Stores announced new officers for 2011-2012, two new Executive Committee members and four new Board of Directors members. Later this month Sam's Club is slated to give free DermaScan skin tests to the first 100 people who sign up at each store. Drug stores have been the most successful location for retail health clinics, a report by health care market research firm Kalorama Information finds. Walgreen Co. has begun offering tests for total cholesterol and HDL (high-density lipoprotein), blood glucose and A1C daily at more than 1,400 of its pharmacies in 33 states and the District of Columbia. The Rite Aid Foundation is donating $50,000 to the American Red Cross to help the victims, families and communities affected by last week's devastating tornadoes in Alabama and Tennessee. In these challenging and uncertain times, planning and collective action are key, and the National Association of Chain Drug Stores provides a vehicle for both, NACDS president and chief executive officer Steve Anderson said at the 2011 NACDS Annual Meeting. With the economic recovery well under way, chain drug retailers can expect a year of growth in 2011, industry analysts say.
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