WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court jolted the pharmaceutical industry with its ruling last month that antitrust regulators should be able to challenge arrangements that allow rival drug makers to delay the sale of a generic drug. Under such strategies, known as “reverse payments” or “pay for delay,” brand name drug makers facing a patent challenge
DEERFIELD, Ill. — As Walgreen Co. brings Alliance Boots’ No7 skin care line to more stores, it has rolled out No7 Men items to all Walgreens and Duane Reade outlets. Part of Great Britain’s top-selling skin care brand, No7 is one of the first lines to find its way onto Walgreens shelves after the companies
DUBLIN, Ohio — A walk-in kiosk is being billed as a step forward in telehealth. The HealthSpot Station, introduced at the annual International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas earlier this year, is a cutting-edge telehealth system that provides high-quality medical diagnostic technology to patients anytime, anywhere, say executives at its creator, HealthSpot Inc. “We
The year is half over. Much has happened. Yet little has happened. Much has changed. Yet little has changed. The year has gone pretty much as expected. Yet unexpected events have kept the industry off balance. Against that premise — or those premises — here’s a look at the most significant events thus far in
Retail pharmacy has emerged as a catalyst for change. National chains, including CVS Caremark and Rite Aid, as well as such regional players as Kerr Drug, are rethinking their practice and business models in a bid to make health care more accessible, efficient and affordable. It’s no surprise that Walgreens, the nation’s largest pharmacy operator,
WASHINGTON — A Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) analysis of preferred pharmacy pricing in Medicare Part D drug benefit plans drew conflicting responses this week. The National Community Pharmacists Association said Friday that the Part D claims analysis by CMS, which compared negotiated prices of preferred and non-preferred retail pharmacy networks in Part
WINNIPEG, Manitoba — Medical diagnostic test maker Miraculins Inc. is finalizing a deal to acquire VeraLight Inc., a provider of a non-invasive diabetes screening technology. VeraLight’s Scout DS system measures changes in the composition of a person’s skin indicative of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. Miraculins said Tuesday that under the acquisition agreement, it gains
WASHINGTON — The Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA) has expressed its support for the Restoring Access to Medication Act (H.R. 2835), which would enable consumers to buy over-the-counter medicines through flexible spending accounts (FSAs) and health savings accounts (HSAs) without having to get a prescription. CHPA said the bill, introduced by Reps. Lynn Jenkins (R.,
CAMP HILL, Pa. — Rite Aid Corp. reported an uptick in comparable-store sales for June after posting a decline the previous month. The drug chain said Wednesday that for the four weeks ended June 29, same-store sales rose 0.7% year over year. The result marked a gain from a 1.5% decrease in May and continued
DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreen Co. saw its comparable-store sales stay on the upside in June. Walgreens said Wednesday that comp-store sales rose 2.3% in June, reflecting negative impacts of 1.5 percentage points from calendar day shifts (one extra Sunday and one fewer Friday) and 1.8 percentage points from introductions of lower-priced generic drugs. The June
WASHINGTON — The Obama administration is giving larger employers another year to comply with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) mandate that they provide health insurance coverage for their workers or pay a penalty. The White House and the Treasury Department announced the plan Tuesday evening, saying the delay comes in response to
PLANO, Texas — Frito-Lay’s Ruffles potato chip brand is serving up french fry flavor in the snack section with the launch of Ruffles Crispy Fries Potato Strips. The PepsiCo division said Tuesday that Ruffles Crispy Fries Potato Strips, available this month, are the first-ever french fry-shaped snacks sliced from real potatoes. According to Frito-Lay, the
NEENAH, Wis. — Kimberly-Clark Corp. has launched GoodNites Underwear, which features a new design that fits bedwetting children more like real underwear. The company said Tuesday that GoodNites Underwear provides absorbent nighttime protection for boys and girls ages 4 and older with a discreet new fit that keeps them hidden under pajamas. According to Kimberly
