ZAANDAM, the Netherlands, and BRUSSELS, Belgium — Shareholders of Koninklijke Ahold N.V. and Delhaize Group have voted to approve the proposed merger of the two retailers The global supermarket operators said Monday that the deal, pending regulatory approval, is expected to close later this year. Officials with the companies said the merger, announced last summer,
MARKHAM, Ontario — Pharmasave Ontario Ltd. is continuing its steady expansion. Part of the Pharmasave Drugs National Ltd. cooperative, Pharmasave Ontario plans to open seven new stores in the first quarter. Several other stores are slated for late spring openings. New Pharmasave locations are opening in East York and Lakeshore in Toronto, and two are
LOVELAND, Colo. — Good Day Pharmacy said it had been named best in class by OutcomesMTM, a Cardinal Health company that designs, delivers and administers medication therapy management programs. Good Day Pharmacy is an independently owned pharmacy chain under the Health Mart umbrella. It operates nine pharmacies in northern Colorado and employs 133 people. “The
ARLINGTON, Va. — The National Association of Chain Drug Stores announced that Vonnie Hampel has been hired as the association’s new director of federal government affairs. Hampel most recently worked as senior legislative assistant, press secretary and manager of health policy issues for Iowa Democratic Rep. Dave Loebsack. “Vonnie brings the policy, politics and press
BOISE, Idaho — Albertsons Cos. is expanding the role of Mark Panzer, who joined the company last spring as senior vice president of pharmacy, health and wellness. The retailer announced early this month that it was also putting Panzer in charge of general merchandise and health and beauty aids. “Mark’s impact on our operation in
VARENNES, Quebec — The Jean Coutu Group has launched an online platform that provides customers and their families with a single account from which they can access their health records. Called the Health Record, the platform is a project of the Jean Coutu network of affiliated pharmacist-owners. Customers can sign up and log in at
WASHINGTON — Retail sales increased for a third straight month in January. The 0.2% gain matched the previous month’s performance, which the Commerce Department initially reported as a decline but revised upward as more data came in. Economists at the National Retail Federation (NRF) predict retail industry sales this year will exceed their 10-year average
DUBLIN, Ohio — Community pharmacists are reacting positively to a new custom-built medication synchronization program that simplifies the process for patients and caregivers who are filling multiple prescriptions and improves patients’ medication adherence by helping to ensure that they fill all prescriptions every month, according to Cardinal Health Inc. The Cardinal Health MedSync Advantage program
MISSISSAUGA, Ontario — Rexall Health and Ateb Canada Ltd. are partnering on a medication synchronization program aimed at improving medication adherence and health outcomes for patients with multiple chronic conditions. The service, OneStopMeds, uses Ateb technology to help Rexall’s pharmacists coordinate a patient’s prescriptions so each is refilled on the same day of the month,
SAN FRANCISCO — McKesson Patient Relationship Solutions (MPRS) is partnering with mscripts LLC on a new-to-market solution aimed at improving pharmacy customers’ medication adherence and fostering patient engagement. Available beginning in March, the solution will provide pharmacy customers with digital coupons via two-way text messaging or a mobile app. The companies said that by providing
WASHINGTON — Economists at the National Retail Federation (NRF) predict retail industry sales this year will exceed their 10-year average as the economy continues to grow and consumers show more willingness to spend. The federation forecasts sales will rise 3.1% in 2016, topping the 2.7% average over the past decade. The report, released Wednesday, predicts
WASHINGTON — The Obama administration continues to alter the Affordable Care Act and propose changes to Medicaid funding as it seeks to increase the number of Americans who have health insurance and slow the pace of medical cost inflation. In a nudge to get more healthy people into the insurance pool, the government increased the
WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS Health has announced new clinical affiliations with health care providers in four states and said the partnerships will improve customers’ access to health care and improve their medication adherence. The health care providers are John Muir Health in California; University of Chicago Medical Center; Novant Health, in Winston-Salem, N.C.; and the
CAMP HILL, Pa. — The Rite Aid Foundation’s KidCents program has donated $2 million to the Fred Rogers Co., the Pittsburgh-based nonprofit that creates the children’s program “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood” for the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). As part of the partnership, a Rite Aid Foundation underwriting spot will air before and after each episode of
