LITTLE CANADA, Minn. — CVS Caremark Corp. is at 7,000 and growing. The company, which has quintupled its store count in just over 12 years, still sees significant opportunity for expansion, CVS/pharmacy president Larry Merlo said at the opening of the chain’s 7,000th store here last month in this St. Paul suburb. The retailer will
BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Walgreen Co. made good on its long-standing promise to open its 7,000th store by 2010, unveiling the milestone unit in a ceremony here earlier this month. “By getting to 7,000 stores across the country we have a great foundation to build upon,” president and chief executive officer Greg Wasson said after the
WASHINGTON — The expected approval of the Senate Finance Committee’s health care bill may have brought reform closer to the end of the beginning than the beginning of the end. The panel’s passage of the bill, which appeared imminent at presstime, left obstacles to the enactment of legislation that ranged from small details to major
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Groups representing community pharmacy have sued four states, saying that they are failing to provide Medicaid patients with access to the same care as everyone else. According to lawsuits filed in federal court by the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA), state pharmacy organizations and individual
WASHINGTON — Though community pharmacy groups praised Congress’ decision last week to delay the accreditation deadline for pharmacies providing durable medical equipment (DME) under Medicare, they continue to seek an exemption for drug retailers. “In the debate over health care reform legislation, we continue to advocate for an exemption for pharmacy from this accreditation requirement,
NEW YORK — Chain drug retailers may well escape the worst of what is expected to be a poor holiday sales season. Drug chains have been outperforming other trade classes, and demand for flu shots is expected to help sustain their momentum, notwithstanding generally gloomy forecasts for retailers overall. According to the National Retail Federation
NEW YORK — Looking to solidify itself as New Yorkers’ drug chain of choice, Duane Reade Inc. has kicked off the second phase of a massive advertising campaign and launched an exclusive brand of food and beverages. Executives at the 250-store chain say the print ads on buses, subways, phone kiosks, billboards and other outdoor
DEERFIELD, Ill. — Drug store industry veteran George Riedl will leave Walgreen Co. at the end of the year. He currently serves as senior vice president of pharmacy innovation and purchasing for the retailer. Since March, Riedl has overseen the introduction of a new pharmacy system in Florida and Arizona that centralizes administrative tasks and
CAMP HILL, Pa. — Robert Thompson has been promoted to executive vice president of pharmacy at Rite Aid Corp. Thompson, 56, had been the retailer’s senior vice president of pharmacy operations. A pharmacist and seasoned veteran of the drug store industry, he will oversee pharmacy operations, pharmacy purchasing and managed care. Thompson’s responsibilities also include
TORONTO — Duncan Mac Naughton has been named chief marketing officer at Wal-Mart Canada. The 47-year-old retail veteran had been executive vice president of merchandising and marketing at Supervalu Inc. “Duncan has been an integral part of our management team and has helped us lay the foundation for our company’s future success,” says Craig Herkert,
CVS Caremark and Walgreens both opened their 7,000th drug store earlier this fall, within a week of each other. CVS’ milestone store opened in a suburb of St. Paul, while Walgreens’ landmark unveiling took place in the Coney Island section of Brooklyn, N.Y. The usual dignitaries put in an appearance at each event. Larry Merlo,
The commoditization of community pharmacy has come in for a good deal of criticism in recent years. Many members of the profession assert that generic drug discount programs and other initiatives focused on price tend to lower the standing of pharmacists in the eyes of patients, payers and their colleagues in health care. The trend,
