VALLEY FORGE, Pa. — AmerisourceBergen Drug Corp. is getting set to kick off ThoughSpot 2013, its annual community pharmacy trade show, later this month in Las Vegas. The pharmaceutical distributor said Monday that the event, to be held July 24 to 27 at the MGM Grand, is expected to draw thousands of independent pharmacy customers
NEW YORK — Convenience remains a linchpin of pharmacy customer satisfaction, and chain drug stores appear to be gaining ground by that metric, a study by Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Inc. reveals. Overall, pharmacy customers rated convenience as an area qualifying as a best practice for the industry, according to Boehringer Ingelheim’s latest Pharmacy Satisfaction Pulse
MISSISSAUGA, Ontario — Rexall Pharma Plus is donating $50,000 to the Canadian Red Cross Alberta Floods Fund to support the relief and recovery effort in the wake of the province’s devastating flooding last month. "Many of our employees in Alberta have been greatly affected by the recent flooding and we are proud of their unwavering
CAMP HILL, Pa. — Ken Martindale, who has been a proponent of change and innovation at Rite Aid Corp., has been named the company’s president. The 53-year-old Martindale had been senior executive vice president and, since 2010, chief operating officer, a post he retains. He continues to report to Rite Aid chairman and chief executive
WASHINGTON — Seeking to educate Americans about the upcoming health insurance exchanges under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the Obama administration has relaunched a website and opened a 24-hour call center. The tools are designed to help people understand their choices and select the coverage that best suits their needs when open enrollment in the
NEW YORK — Demand from newly insured patients under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) will double the number of retail clinics in the next three years, management consulting firm Accenture has projected. Walk-in clinics will drive $800 million in annual cost savings by 2015 and add capacity for 10.8 million patient visits per year, compared
CAMP HILL, Pa. — Rite Aid has extended its wellness+ customer loyalty program with the launch of wellness65+. “Attracting new senior customers represents a key growth opportunity for Rite Aid because seniors tend to be our best pharmacy patients,” president and chief operating officer Ken Martindale says. “Growing its senior patient base gives Rite Aid
PARSIPPANY, N.J. — Improper use of medications by patients and health care providers adds more than $200 billion a year to the nation’s health care tab, a study released last month by the IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics says. That unnecessary spending the report notes, represents 8% of the country’s total annual health care expenditures
WOONSOCKET, R.I. — As it continues to revamp its Gold Emblem line of store brand food, CVS/pharmacy has launched Gold Emblem Select, an assortment of what the company is calling “items that celebrate the exceptional in everyday food, beverage and snack products.” The first item in the new line is coffee, with three premium ground
ARLINGTON, Va. — The National Association of Chain Drug Stores has named Kevin Nicholson to the newly created position of vice president of public policy and regulatory affairs. Executives say the new post expands Nicholson’s responsibilities in policy leadership, federal regulatory advocacy and staff management. “Throughout his 12 years of service at NACDS, Kevin’s rock-solid
RALEIGH, N.C. — Continuing to leverage the “Healthy Relationship” brand that Kerr Drug has been building on for several years, the retailer is focusing on the diabetes customer. The North Carolina drug chain’s new “Take Control of Your Diabetes” effort includes planograms, print ads, social media messaging, education programs, in-store point of purchase and physician
DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreen Co. agreed last month to pay $80 million in fines to end a Drug Enforcement Administration probe into allegations that it allowed millions of doses of controlled substances, including the highly addictive painkiller oxycodone, to reach the black market. The settlement is the largest civil penalty that has ever been paid
POINT PLEASANT, W.Va. — Fruth Pharmacy has begun offering a mobile application that executives say makes it easier for customers to manage their health and prescription needs. The app enables customers to refill prescriptions and receive pickup and dosage reminders through their smartphones. “A mobile pharmacy solution demonstrates Fruth Pharmacy’s dedication to delivering solutions that
