JANESVILLE, Wis. — House Speaker Paul Ryan (R., Wis.) has lauded Walgreens for fighting the pervasive problem of prescription drug abuse and misuse. Ryan late last month appeared at a Walgreens outlet here, his hometown, to mark Wisconsin’s first in-store drug take-back kiosk. The retailer now has kiosks in 288 pharmacies in 21 states and
CINCINNATI — Axium Pharmacy Holdings Inc., a unit of Kroger Co., has agreed to acquire Modern HC Holdings Inc. (ModernHEALTH), a specialty pharmacy operator, to create a combined specialty pharmacy organization. Terms of the transaction, which is subject to regulatory approval, were not disclosed. The new entity will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of
DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. (WBA) has signed an agreement to form a franchise partnership with Emart Co., a subsidiary of South Korea’s largest retailer, Shinsegae Group. Under the terms of the partnership, the two companies will create a pharmacy-led health and beauty retail franchise in South Korea operating under the Boots banner.
TORONTO — The Neighbourhood Pharmacy Association of Canada (Neighbourhood Pharmacies) has responded to a recent communiqué issued by Canada’s provincial and territorial premiers regarding the nation’s health care system. While expressing support for the premiers’ concern about the system’s economic sustainaibility, Neighbourhood Pharmacies emphasizes that health care sustainability must include pharmaceutical pricing models that deliver
CHICAGO — Retail pharmacy is no stranger to technology. For many years pharmacy operators and their supply chain partners have relied on computer-driven systems to ensure efficient distribution of products, assist pharmacists in dispensing and adjudicate insurance claims. The digital revolution is now bringing about an exponential change in technology’s impact not only on pharmacy,
NEW YORK — More than half of American adults taking prescription drugs misused their medications last year, according to a new study by Quest Diagnostics. Quest believes that the study, “Prescription Drug Monitoring Report 2016,” is the largest-ever examination of drug misuse based on physician-ordered lab tests. The misuse included potentially dangerous combinations with other
DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens is shutting down drugstore.com and Beauty.com in an effort to focus on Walgreens.com. The retailer, which acquired the two e-commerce operations in 2011, expects the shutdown to be completed by the end of September. The properties helped Walgreens create new digital capabilities with a stronger e-commerce approach, said a company spokesman.
MONTREAL — The Jean Coutu Group is the target of a class-action suit filed by a group of its franchisees seeking to recover $252 million in royalties. In a brief statement, the company said that it intends to contest the action. The lawsuit was filed in the superior court of Quebec in Montreal on behalf
SEATTLE — Bartell Drugs has remodeled two stores and announced an opening for next year. The chain completed renovations in West Seattle and Snohomish and announced a new outlet for Snoqualmie, east of Lake Washington. The West Seattle site now features Bartell’s 10th CareClinic, while the Snohomish outlet has added a drive-through pharmacy window. Both
BENTONVILLE, Ark. — In a major follow-up to the sustainable chemistry policy it unveiled in 2013, Walmart has published a list of eight controversial chemicals that it is asking suppliers to eliminate from their products. The targeted substances were limited in number to make quick progress easier. The list of what Walmart has designated high-priority
BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Former Walmart executive Don Soderquist passed away last month due to complications from heart surgery. He was 82. Soderquist was recruited by Walmart founder Sam Walton from Ben Franklin Stores, where Walton had his retailing start. He joined the retailer in 1980 as executive vice president of administration and logistics and eventually
ORLANDO, Fla. — CVS Health has opened a 112,000-square-foot specialty pharmacy here. The new facility will provide disease education, pharmacy and medication counseling, benefits verification, medication dispensing, and coordination of care with multiple providers. The site adds to CVS’ significant presence in the Orlando area, where it has a distribution center as well as other
It has been slightly more than nine months since Walgreens Boots Alliance agreed to acquire Rite Aid in a $17.2 billion all-cash transaction. Since that time, speculation about whether the Walgreens-Rite Aid merger will pass muster with the Federal Trade Commission has become a staple of discussion for people involved in community pharmacy and the
The year 2016 is more than half over — and the news concerning the chain drug store community has hardly made a ripple. The Walgreens acquisition of Rite Aid remains a work in progress, though all parties hoped it would have been completed by now. The NACDS Total Store Expo event is unfolding without many
