TORONTO — Community pharmacies in Ontario construed somewhat positively the announcement on May 17 by Deb Matthews, the provincial Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, that she intended to postpone the introduction of new regulations governing pharmacy remuneration for about a month. They saw the development as possibly signaling some modifications in the specifics of
TORONTO — How will community pharmacy fare under the new plans for remuneration to be published in final form soon by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care? That theme dominated both formal and informal discussions among delegates to the annual conference of the Canadian Association of Chain Drug Stores held here last month.
NEW YORK — A successful pilot program has set the stage for CVS Caremark Corp.’s rollout of its Consumer Engagement Engine, which provides real-time clinical messaging to pharmacists. The clinical communications are integrated into normal pharmacy work flow, becoming part of the prescription filling process, CVS Caremark president and chief operating officer Larry Merlo told
WASHINGTON — Pharmacists are the most trusted source for medical research information, followed by patient groups and the federal government, according to a recent survey on a variety of health care issues. The poll of 1,000 adults in the United States, commissioned by Research!America and Eli Lilly and Co. and conducted by Charlton Research Co.,
MIAMI — Navarro Discount Pharmacies has strengthened its pharmacy leadership team by appointing Jose Alvarez as vice president of merchandising and selecting Angel Colls as director of category management. In another announcement, Navarro, the largest Hispanic-owned pharmacy chain in the country, has launched a "customer experience" program developed to save consumers time and money by
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — Lewis Drugs has begun construction of a new-concept store in Sioux Falls, S.D., to be located on the southwest corner of 69th Street and Louise Avenue. “We have listened to our customers and have designed a store that will make their shopping experience at Lewis more enjoyable and convenient,” says president
WASHINGTON — The cost of reforming the nation’s health care system may be more than originally expected, a recent estimate from the Congressional Budget Office finds. The report, one of several released in recent weeks that looked at parts of the reform package, says the health care overhaul will likely cost about $115 billion more
CAMP HILL, Pa. — Rite Aid Corp. has added a new line of private brand products to its baby care offering. Called Tugaboos, the line initially includes diapers and training pants. Going forward, Rite Aid expects to add more items, including creams, lotions and wipes. Marketers point out that the products, which are being offered
BOCA RATON, Fla. — The Chain Drug Consortium has launched a Web portal that it says will provide members’ retail point-of-sale data to all participating program suppliers. To create the portal, the Chain Drug Consortium has partnered with Sona LLC. The portal will give suppliers access to consortium member POS data for front-end items. According
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The National Association of Chain Drug Stores has named Sandra Kay Guckian vice president of state government affairs. In her new role Guckian, who previously served as vice president and deputy director of state government affairs, will head the NACDS state government affairs team. “In her new capacity, Sandra is charged with
Two game-changing personnel shifts were announced last month: one stunning in its inexplicable surprise, immediate impact and long-term implications; the second unfortunate and perhaps, in the end, inevitable. Tom Ryan shocked the chain drug retailing community by announcing his intention to retire next year from CVS Caremark, the company he joined 36 years ago right
As recent developments in several countries attest, traditional drug stores confront an array of challenges that have the potential to weaken their competitive position vis-à-vis other community pharmacy operators and threaten their financial viability. Pharmacies in Ontario are awaiting final word on the provincial government’s plan to slash reimbursements for prescription drugs. Outlined in draft
