DEERFIELD, Ill. — As chief executive officer of Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. (WBA), Stefano Pessina says he will provide management stability, enabling the company to focus on its operational and strategic tasks. He says the WBA board appointed him CEO (he had been in the role on an interim basis), rather than choose a new
WASHINGTON — Total U.S. health care spending growth is expected to average 5.8% in aggregate over the 2014-2024 period, according to a report published in Health Affairs and written by members of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Office of the Actuary. The authors note that this rate of growth is still substantially lower
CAMP HILL, Pa. — Rite Aid Corp. has announced the appointment of Bryan Everett as executive vice president of store operations, effective August 3. He is one of three recent additions to the company’s executive ranks. Everett’s appointment was announced in late June. He will be responsible for all operations at the company’s nearly 4,600
WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS Health and IBM Corp. are partnering to provide patients suffering from chronic diseases with improved services for health care management. The agreement, which was announced July 30, will allow pharmacists and practitioners from CVS Health to benefit from the state-of-the-art computing capabilities of IBM’s premier supercomputer Watson in analyzing massive amounts
WASHINGTON — Medicare and Medicaid recently passed the half-century mark, and the National Association of Chain Drug Stores envisions an enhanced role for pharmacists in both programs, particularly Medicaid. Congress, too, is looking for opportunities to strengthen and sustain Medicaid. Last month the House Energy and Commerce subcommittee on health held a hearing titled “Medicaid
FLINT, Mich. — Diplomat Pharmacy Inc. is a growing company in a quickly growing industry. The specialty pharmacy provider has made the most of its independence, says chairman and chief executive officer Phil Hagerman, and continues to do so after last year’s initial public offering. Even though Diplomat has become publicly traded, “we absolutely still
CAMP HILL, Pa. — One of the nation’s leading retail drug chains has teamed up with a pioneer in patient- and provider-driven health care technology. Last month, Rite Aid Corp. and HealthSpot announced the opening of HealthSpot stations in 25 Rite Aid pharmacies in Ohio. Through the HealthSpot stations, customers are able to conveniently access
DEERFIELD, Ill. — Jeff Berkowitz, president of Pharma and Global Market Access at Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc., has left the company. Berkowitz also was a WBA executive vice president. “With the restructuring of our Pharma and Global Market Access group, Jeff Berkowitz, who has led that function since its formation, has made the decision to
TORONTO — Loblaw Cos. will shutter 52 underperforming stores, including Shoppers Drug Mart units, over the next year, giving up revenue to boost its bottom line. Canada’s No. 1 grocer said the closing of the outlets — which also include supermarkets, stand-alone Joe Fresh clothing outlets and gas stations — is expected to cut its
NEW YORK — Jack Futterman, who during the 1990s served as chairman and chief executive officer of Pathmark Stores Inc. and also a term as chairman of the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, has died at age 82. Futterman, a pharmacist, began his career with Whelan Drug Stores, working his way up to become
DEERFIELD, Ill. — Selling into a retail chain as large as Walgreens can be a formidable challenge for even the largest supplier, let alone a fledgling player. To help smooth the path, Shannon Curtin, Walgreens’ group vice president and general merchandise manager for beauty and personal care, recently offered a primer on how to partner
BOISE, Idaho — Albertsons Cos., the nation’s second-largest supermarket company and one of the biggest retail pharmacy operators, plans to go public. The company filed a registration statement last month with the Securities and Exchange Commission for an initial public offering of common stock. The number of shares to be offered, their price range and
NEW YORK — Chain drug retailers have gotten used to dealing with fewer, and larger, drug makers, wholesalers and pharmacy benefit managers over the years. Retailers themselves have also consolidated, and now a merger wave has washed over the health insurance industry. While acquisitions in other sectors have been driven by the pursuit of economies
TORONTO — Shoppers Drug Mart (SDM) and the Partnership for a Drug-Free Canada (PDFC) are collaborating on the third National Medicine Take-Back Campaign, to be held through December 2015, and a new partnership with Loblaw Pharmacy will increase the number of pharmacies participating in the campaign to 1,800 nationwide. The goal of the National Medicine
