TAMPA, Fla. — Front-end suppliers, buyers from regional drug chains and representatives of regional drug wholesalers and grocery stores will be among those attending the Chain Drug Marketing Association’s 88th annual trade expo. The four-day event is scheduled to run January 28 through January 31 at the Tampa Convention Center. Attending buyers will have the
WASHINGTON — The Senate has moved toward passage of a bill to provide federal regulation of compounding pharmacies. Titled the Drug Quality and Security Act (DQSA), or H.R. 3204, the legislation was approved by the House in late September and by the Senate in a 97-1 preliminary vote on November 12. Final passage was expected
DEERFIELD, Ill. — Research from Walgreen Co. finds that HIV patients are more likely to be medication-adherent when they use one of the company’s HIV-specialized pharmacies. In two separate studies presented at the recent Cell-Lancet conference “What Will It Take to Achieve an AIDS-Free World?” in San Francisco, researchers found that patients using Walgreens HIV
DEERFIELD, Ill. — Steve Lubin is stepping down as Walgreens’ divisional vice president and general manager of marketing for non-mainland operations. He has been with the chain for 43 years. Lubin’s retirement is part of a series of executive changes at the retailer, according to sources close to the company. Lubin played a significant role
ARLINGTON, Va. — As the National Association of Chain Drug Stores Regional Chain Conference draws nearer, association executives say the event offers the industry’s small and mid-size players a vital forum to exchange ideas and find solutions to their common problems. “This is an opportune time for people to get in-depth information on topics critical
After 43 years with Walgreen Co. — he began working for the Deerfield, Ill.-based, 8,100-store drug chain in 1970, when Walgreens, then located on Peterson Avenue in northern Chicago, operated some 550 drug stores — Steve Lubin has accepted a retirement package, leaving the company he has been so large a part of for so
Much has been written in this space about the lift the Affordable Care Act will provide for the retail pharmacy business. The addition of 30 million or more individuals to the ranks of the insured, a process that is now expected to take several years to complete, will significantly increase prescription drug volume and generate
Megan Moyer — Should companies consider data an asset? Recognizing the value of translating big data into something meaningful that informs product, marketing, customer service, distribution, sales, and operations decisions has been a hot topic this year. Managing this “good” data rather than disparate data can have a significant, positive impact on business. From improving
SAN FRANCISCO — McKesson Corp. has agreed to acquire the German pharmaceutical distributor Celesio AG in a deal valued at about $8.3 billion (6.1 billion euros). If completed, the transaction will create a company with annual revenues of $150 billion and operations in 20 countries. Under the terms of the agreement McKesson will purchase the
SEATTLE — As it approaches its 125th year in business, Bartell Drugs has proven to be a survivor. Bartell Drugs chairman and CEO George D. Bartell is the grandson of the 125-year-old chain’s founder. Started in 1890 by George Bartell Sr., a 21-year-old pharmacist who left the family farm in Kansas to pursue fame and
NEW YORK — With the full implementation of the Affordable Care Act rapidly approaching, efforts to enroll millions of Americans in new health plans are taking center stage in Washington and beyond. The technical failures of the federally run health insurance website, healthcare.gov, have continued to draw the ire of Obama administration critics, who contend
WASHINGTON — The federal health care insurance exchange will be fixed, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius testified late last month. The secretary told the House Energy and Commerce Committee that the online exchange’s problem-plagued rollout was a “debacle,” and that she took responsibility for it. The Obama administration has promised that the exchange
WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration has recommended that Vicodin and other pain medications containing hydrocodone be reclassified as Schedule II drugs. The recommendation now goes to the Department of Health and Human Services and the Drug Enforcement Administration for a final decision. If implemented, the rescheduling will require drug stores to implement more
