VANCOUVER, British Columbia — London Drugs vice president of pharmacy John Tse said the chain is exploring the idea of selling legal marijuana through its 79 pharmacies in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. “When it gets classified as a legal product, Health Canada will most likely regulate it, because there are regulated producers as
WASHINGTON — The National Association of Chain Drug Stores is urging the Senate to pass legislation that it says would spur collaboration among health and enforcement authorities for drug abuse solutions “that maintain patients’ legitimate access to medications” while fighting opioid abuse. The trade organization supports the Ensuring Patient Access and Effective Drug Enforcement Act
WASHINGTON — National Association of Chain Drug Stores president and chief executive officer Steve Anderson has been selected as the 2016 Trade Association CEO of the Year by an independent panel of association leadership experts. Anderson is only the third CEO to receive this award, which is presented by CEO Update magazine. Previous honorees were
FLINT, Mich. — Diplomat Pharmacy has announced three promotions within the company’s executive leadership team. Atheer Kaddis has been appointed executive vice president of sales and strategic alignment, a position in which he coordinates Diplomat’s strategies within the business units. Lance Neill has been named senior vice president of corporate services and is responsible for
WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS Health says that prescription drug trend for its pharmacy benefit management clients dropped to 5% in 2015 from a high of 11.8% in 2014. The trend drivers — including brand, specialty and generic price inflation — were similar to what was seen in 2014, but CVS Health asserts that its pharmacy
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Blood pressure kiosks in retail pharmacies are a key focus of an international effort by hypertension organizations to tighten the regulation of consumer BP devices. PharmaSmart International reported that 21 international hypertension organizations have published a joint statement urging the private health care sector and governments to address the issue of inaccurate
BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Marcus Osborne has been appointed as vice president of health and wellness transformation at Walmart. Walmart confirmed Osborne’s promotion on Wednesday. He previously served as vice president of health and wellness payer relations. In his new role, Osborne will focus on driving the strategic vision, business development and key initiatives for the
SAN FRANCISCO and TORONTO — McKesson Corp. plans to acquire Canadian drug store operator Rexall Health from Katz Group for $2.2 billion ($3 billion Canadian). McKesson said Wednesday that the deal will strengthen its position in Canada’s pharmaceutical supply chain and is a natural step for the two companies, which have worked together for more
WASHINGTON — About 12.7 million Americans signed up for 2016 health insurance coverage through the government insurance exchanges, surpassing expectations, Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell said earlier this month. The government began offering subsidies for individual insurance in 2014 under the Affordable Care Act, frequently referred to as Obamacare, and charges a penalty
PHILADELPHIA — Rite Aid Corp.’s RediClinic and Aria Health, the largest health care provider in northeast Philadelphia and lower Bucks County, Pa., are entering into an alliance that will offer greater convenience, increased access and more affordable health care to residents of the region. Through the arrangement, RediClinic and Aria Health will implement a variety
FLINT, Mich. — Diplomat Pharmacy Inc. has unveiled an updated website to serve as a specialty pharmacy resource center. “The goal was to reimagine the website and create a smarter, more comprehensive digital platform,” said Jennifer Cretu, vice president of marketing and public relations at Diplomat. “We’re extremely excited to launch a new specialty pharmacy
DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreen Co. has advised Theranos Inc. that it must stop sending clinical lab tests provided through Theranos Wellness Centers at Walgreens to the Theranos lab in Newark, Calif. The drug chain also said that it is suspending Theranos Inc. laboratory testing at its Palo Alto, Calif., store in the aftermath of a
HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. — Kmart has introduced Pharmacy Savings Plus, a program designed to help shoppers who are uninsured or underinsured as well as those who pay cash for some or all of their prescriptions to save on medications and other pharmacy products and services. The company, a subsidiary of Sears Holdings Corp., says that
WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — Hy-Vee Inc. executive vice president and chief retail officer Jay Marshall has been named chief operating officer, becoming only the fourth person in the company’s history to hold that title. Marshall will retain all responsibility for retail operations and store development and will assume responsibility for all merchandising areas in
