WASHINGTON — Humana Inc.’s decision to pull out of the health insurance exchanges created by the Affordable Care Act threatens to cripple Obamacare before Republican lawmakers bent on its repeal can cobble together a replacement. The Humana decision came one day before the Trump administration issued a proposed rule that attempts to offer insurers more
WASHINGTON — A group of retail executives, including Walgreens Boots Alliance executive chairman and chief executive officer Stefano Pessina, met with President Donald Trump earlier this month to discuss issues related to imports and changes to the tax code. The meeting was a scheduled event with the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA). “The retail industry
DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. (WBA) and Rite Aid Corp. have extended the end date for their merger by six months, and have indicated a willingness to sell up to 1,200 Rite Aid stores to win Federal Trade Commission approval for the deal. Originally WBA said it was willing to divest up to
PALM BEACH, Fla. — Pharmacy is pivotal to the national reckoning about health care, and the National Association of Chain Drug Stores is highlighting its place by advancing a pro-pharmacy and pro-patient agenda. That was the message of industry leaders at the NACDS Regional Chain Conference, with pharmacy-based answers to national uncertainties emerging as a
DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. (WBA) said Walgreens chief merchant Linda Filler is leaving the company on April 1. Filler has agreed to serve in an advisory role beyond that date, the company said, and she plans to devote more time to her family and to accept an offer to join the board
MEMPHIS — Fred’s Inc. has strengthened its executive leadership team with two recent hires and a promotion. Most recently the regional discount and drug chain added Gregory Froton as senior vice president of merchandising, general merchandise, and promoted Kimberley Felice-Dooley to the position of senior vice president of merchandising, consumables. In December the company appointed
RICHMOND, British Columbia — London Drugs is helping raise public awareness of the preventive measures that can minimize the risk of heart disease by encouraging customers to attend a Healthy Heart Clinic at 68 of its locations. The program, which runs through March 23, is part of Heart Month in Canada, the western Canada drug
PLYMOUTH, Minn. — Thrifty White Pharmacy has introduced the Healthy Outcomes Diabetes Support Program. Tailored to patients’ individual needs, the diabetes care solution is being offered directly to employers and through health plan partnerships. “We’ve continually heard from employers in our communities that diabetes is one of their top-two concerns,” Thrifty White said. “Our new
KEASBEY, N.J. — There has been significant movement within the executive ranks at one of the largest retailer-owned cooperatives in the United States. On the heels of promoting Chris Skyers to vice president of corporate merchandising, Wakefern Food Corp. has now tapped Cathy Magistrelli as vice president of health and beauty care. Magistrelli joined Wakefern
WASHINGTON — Vowing to fix what he called a “broken health care system,” Rep. Tom Price (R., Ga.) was sworn in earlier this month as secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Retail pharmacy groups responded by welcoming Price to his new post as HHS secretary. “We congratulate Rep. Tom Price on
DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens Boots Alliance has selected a dedicated agency team at WPP, the world’s largest marketing and advertising agency, to handle its global marketing and communications account. The drug store operator will work with Team WBA, a bespoke team of WPP agencies assigned to handle the retailer’s traditional and digital advertising, media buying
SEATTLE — Amazon.com Inc. is expanding delivery of Bartell Drugs’ inventory to its Amazon Prime Now customers in the Greater Seattle area. The expansion was announced about 10 weeks after Amazon selected Bartells as the first drug store to sell merchandise through its Prime Now one- and two-hour delivery service. About 90% of Bartell’s inventory
The major question in mass retailing this year, as the industry concludes the second month of 2017, is when — and indeed whether — Walgreens Boots Alliance’s acquisition of Rite Aid will be fruitfully concluded. As anyone who really cares knows by now the deadline for finalizing the Walgreens-Rite Aid merger has been extended to
Although sometimes overlooked amid the swirl of activity surrounding the largest players in retail pharmacy, regional drug chains remain an integral part of the industry. The assets and aspirations of those companies — defined as operating between four and 250 stores — along with the challenges they face, were on display at the National Association