WASHINGTON — Pharmacy organizations have praised last month’s enactment of a federal comprehensive supply chain and compounding law. The Drug Quality and Security Act boosts the Food and Drug Administration’s authority to regulate compounding pharmacies that ship drugs across state lines. Its approval came a year after tainted injectable drugs from a Massachusetts compounding pharmacy
GREEN BAY, Wis. — Peter McMahon has been named chief executive officer of Shopko Stores Operating Co., replacing interim CEO Michael Bettiga. A 30-year retail veteran, McMahon most recently was chief operating officer of Loblaw Cos., Canada’s leading supermarket operator. Before joining Loblaws, McMahon held senior management positions with Walmart International in Germany and Japan
OTTAWA — Canada’s highest court dealt a blow to pharmacy chains earlier this month when it upheld Ontario’s ban on drug stores selling their own brands of private label generic drugs. In a 7-0 decision, justices of the Supreme Court of Canada said the province’s 2010 decision to outlaw the practice was consistent with its
EVANSTON, Ill. — Walgreen Co. has opened what it says is the nation’s first net-zero energy retail store. Anticipated to produce energy equal to or greater than it consumes, the new store here employs a pair of wind turbines, nearly 850 solar panels and a geothermal system burrowed 550 feet into the ground. Executives say
REGINA, Saskatchewan — London Drugs opened a novel store here late last month. The company’s 78th unit, the 36,720-square-foot store is London Drugs’ second outlet in Regina and introduces a new open concept area where consumers’ technology needs can be addressed. The layout includes a 266-square-foot classroom-style learning lab where customers can consult with experts
TORONTO — Shoppers Drug Mart has revamped its Life Brand line of vitamins and supplements and launched an online tool to help customers find health products. Executives explain that the online tool — the Life Brand Vitamin Finder — gives consumers round-the-clock access to a wealth of information about the growing range of vitamins, minerals,
SEATTLE — Bartell Drugs is testing a state-of-the-art system that will let its customers print anything from a personal photo book to a classic novel in just minutes. The full-service digital-to-print media center features On Demand Books’ in-store Espresso Book Machine integrated with Kodak Picture Kiosks. It is being introduced at Bartell’s University Village store
WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS Caremark Corp. has named longtime health care industry veteran Tracy Bahl executive vice president of health plans. He will oversee the company’s teams that support its health plan clients and help them navigate the nation’s evolving health care system. Bahl joins CVS Caremark after nearly three decades as a health care
BALTIMORE — With the opening of a new store here in collaboration with Johns Hopkins Medicine (JHM), Walgreen Co. has re-emphasized the role of retail pharmacy in bringing new health and wellness services to communities, reinforced the benefits of pharmacy working with other health care providers to improve outcomes and lower costs and helped to
It’s not that Mark Cosby, the departing president of the CVS drug chain, was not respected. After all, here was an executive with an extensive retailing background, most notably at Sears and Macy’s. The drawback was that Cosby was not a chain drug retailer. As such, he lacked several of the requisites for leadership in
While the new regulations governing pharmacy compounding contained in the Drug Quality and Security Act, which received final congressional approval and was signed into law by President Obama last month, garnered most of the media attention, the bigger story is the provisions of the legislation giving the Food and Drug Administration the authority to create
