The high value of pharmaceutical shipments has traditionally meant that all parties in the chain drug industry were primarily concerned with quality. They needed a reliable, transparent solution. Given that shipping represented a tiny percentage of drug costs, price was a lesser concern. But recently shipping rates have increased sharply. Is there anything the industry
The who, why, what, where and how of health care retail are changing faster and more dramatically than for perhaps any segment of consumer packaged goods. This disruption has certainly posed challenges and translated into declines for some, but it has also opened new, exciting opportunities for innovative marketers who recognize, embrace and take advantage
Retail in the future will look nothing like what we see today. A new role for physical retailers is long overdue, and only a few have satisfied the need for change. Historically, one of the primary challenges facing North American brick-and-mortar retail pharmacies and their suppliers has been the inability to encourage shoppers to purchase
The future of retail pharmacy is driven by your customers (patients/shoppers/consumers). Consumers have moved into the digital age — which is not news. It is up to you to determine how you will service their evolved expectations. They engage with their social communities online, complete tasks on the go and transact all via their mobile
There’s never been a more critical time to start turning your shoppers into pharmacy customers. With the 900-pound gorilla, Amazon.com, lurking around the corner ready to pounce on the $500 billion drug industry, drug stores, mass merchants and supermarkets need a plan of action, and they need it now. Amazon has the ability with its
A new product innovation with a large promotional spend does not automatically equal success in the retail marketplace. Too often, brands release a product with a new technology, form, ingredient or positioning, or a product that addresses an unmet consumer need, without fully considering the product’s earning potential. Not only is earning potential critical to
With sweeping changes occurring within the pharmacy and health care business landscape, it’s easy to lose focus on the front end of the store. However, efforts to create a healthy front end should not be ignored. In fact, now more than ever, it should be a top priority. Why? Because the U.S. drug store channel
NEW YORK — I was in Trader Joe’s for the first time in a while. I don’t usually shop there because there’s not a store close to me. What struck me was how the brand story has remained so relevant, so fresh, in spite of much new competition. It also struck me that in a
ARLINGTON, Va. — The NACDS Retail Advisory Board’s Market Immersion series resembles a microcosm of the NACDS Total Store Expo, in that the topics discussed emphasize the interrelationships of virtually every aspect of the business. The NACDS Retail Advisory Board, which includes NACDS associate and chain members, advises the NACDS board of directors primarily on
CINCINNATI — Kroger Co. is promoting its new Wellness Your Way platform, which encourages shoppers to adopt a more holistic approach to health, with a three-and-a-half-day music, education and wellness festival here in October. “Kroger is excited to present the first Wellness Your Way Festival in America in our hometown,” said Colleen Lindholz, president of
NEW YORK — UnitedHealth has tentatively agreed to buy Genoa Healthcare from private equity firm Advent International, according to a report. Under the terms of the deal, Genoa chief executive officer John Figueroa would leave the mental health center pharmacy operator, with chief commercial officer Mark Peterson taking the reins, according to the report in
NEW YORK — Drug makers and health care professionals are gearing up for the 2018-2019 flu season, with much of the initial activity focused on raising vaccination rates. While anyone can get the flu, it can be particularly serious for young children, older people, pregnant women and people with certain health conditions, such as asthma,
WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS Health is offering customers who have downloaded the CVS Pharmacy app access to health care services 24 hours a day, seven days a week, from their mobile devices. MinuteClinic Video Visits are intended to meet the wellness needs of customers with minor illnesses, injuries and skin conditions, the company announced earlier
WOONSOCKET, R.I. — The Trump administration’s blueprint to lower drug prices has put the spotlight on the rebates negotiated by pharmacy benefits managers with drug manufacturers. During a recent conference call, CVS Health president and chief executive officer Larry Merlo addressed the issue while making a spirited defense of the role of PBMs in containing