WASHINGTON — When President Obama signed the bill to overhaul the nation’s health system late last month, it set in motion changes that will impact retail pharmacy operators and other health care providers at every level. After more than a year of rancorous debate, the House of Representatives voted 219-212 in a late night Sunday
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The health care reform package signed into law by President Obama includes three pharmacy provisions advocated by the National Association of Chain Drug Stores. Part of the bill passed by the Senate in December, the provisions will pilot medication therapy management (MTM) while improving the Medicare Part D MTM benefit, reduce Medicaid
NEW YORK — Industry response to the passage of health care reform legislation by the House of Representatives varied widely from qualified approval to blanket denunciation. “The bill is expected to provide health insurance to an additional 32 million Americans, and we expect to benefit from that as a provider,” said Greg Wasson, president and
WASHINGTON — At the recent RxImpact day, Megan Marchal, pharmacy manager at a Walgreen Co. store in Canal Winchester, Ohio, opened her talks with Jessica McNiece, a legislative assistant to Sen. Sherrod Brown (D., Ohio), by informing her of the need for legislation that would maintain Medicare Part D beneficiaries’ access to critical vaccines. In
DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreen Co. has boosted its share in the Memphis, Tenn., market by acquiring prescription files and other assets of 17 drug stores from USA Drug. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Walgreens plans to transfer the prescription files to its nearby outlets and is negotiating with USA Drug, which is based
SEATTLE — Walgreen Co. is set to stop accepting new Medicaid patients in its Washington state pharmacies as of April 16. The chain, which operates 121 pharmacies in Washington, originally planned to stop filling Medicaid prescriptions in February at 64 stores because of a continued reduction in pharmacy reimbursements. That deadline was extended while negotiations
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Dawn Worthington has been hired as vice president of human resources at the National Association of Chain Drug Stores. Worthington had served as vice president of human resources and benefits at the National Restaurant Association. “Though human resources too often is perceived as an internal function, Dawn’s role includes a decidedly external
GOUVERNEUR, N.Y. — Kinney Drugs has teamed up with cancer services programs in three upstate New York counties to provide information on how uninsured patients can get free cancer screenings. In addition, the drug store chain provided free blood glucose tests and diabetes education clinics at all of its Vermont stores last month. “We want
MIAMI — Navarro Discount Pharmacies has promoted director of human resources Cristy Leon-Rivero to vice president of marketing. In her new position, Leon-Rivero will oversee the advertising, public relations, community relations and marketing efforts of the 28-unit drug store chain. “Cristy Leon-Rivero is an outstanding member of our senior team, which has made numerous contributions
Linda Suydam, president of the Consumer Healthcare Products Association, will retire by year’s end after eight years as head of the proprietary medicines organization. At the association’s annual meeting last month in Aventura, Fla., her last as CHPA’s president, she received a three-minute standing ovation from the organization’s membership as she left the stage after
So far community pharmacy has come out reasonably well in the battle over the reform of the nation’s health care system. The landmark $940 billion legislation that was passed by the House on a narrow, partisan vote and signed into law by President Obama last month includes several favorable provisions for the profession. The measure
