TORONTO — The premier of Ontario, Kathleen Wynne, has promised that the provincial Liberal party will make prescription drugs free for residents age 65 and older if it is reelected in June. Pharmacy organizations in Canada hailed the announcement. “Providing prescription drugs at no cost for millions of seniors is going to make life more
WASHINGTON — Three senators last month introduced legislation that they say will bring more transparency to prescription drug pricing. Sens. Susan Collins (R., Maine), Claire McCaskill (D., Mo.) and Debbie Stabenow (D., Mich.) introduced the Patient Right to Know Drug Prices Act (S. 2554) and the Know the Lowest Price Act (S. 2553), which would
CAMP HILL, Pa. — Rite Aid Corp. has completed the transfer of 1,932 stores purchased by Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. The transfer of three distribution centers and related inventory is expected to begin after September 1. The majority of the closing conditions of WBA’s $4.375 billion acquisition of the stores and warehouses have been satisfied,
WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS Health has moved a step closer to completing its acquisition of insurer Aetna Inc. after stockholders of both companies overwhelmingly approved the deal. The combination must still pass the scrutiny of regulators, however. More than 98% of CVS shares were voted in favor, while about 97% of Aetna shares voted to
NEW YORK — Walmart is reportedly in talks to acquire health insurer Humana Inc. in a move to keep up with the consolidating health care marketplace and be competitive with Amazon.com. The proposed deal, reported by The Wall Street Journal, would squarely position a Walmart-Humana combination against the CVS Health-Aetna union that is expected to
WASHINGTON — Last month, President Trump unveiled his plan to fight the nationwide opioid crisis. The departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Justice are the two agencies charged with leading the effort and executing the president’s plan. The goals of the new plan, according to the White House, are threefold: to reduce drug
BOISE, Idaho — Albertsons Cos. is launching a new digital marketplace for food and wellness products, and the retailer is inviting suppliers of new and niche brands to be a part of it. “At Albertsons Cos., we have always prided ourselves on our wide assortment,” said Narayan Iyengar, who joined the company last year as
RENTON, Wash. — Behavioral health pharmacy operator Genoa Healthcare has opened its 400th location, in its home state. Last month, Tukwila, Wash.-based Genoa held the grand opening of its newest pharmacy at Comprehensive Life Resources, a nonprofit behavioral health center in Renton. About 175 people attended the ribbon-cutting event, including John Figueroa, Genoa’s chief executive
WOONSOCKET, R.I. — Former Eli Lilly and Co. finance chief Derica Rice has been named president of CVS Caremark, the pharmacy benefits management business of CVS Health. He succeeds Jon Roberts, who was promoted last year to the newly created position of chief operating officer of CVS Health. Rice will have day-to-day leadership and oversight
CAMP HILL, Pa. — The merger of Albertsons Cos. and Rite Aid Corp. will create a “truly differentiated” player in the food, health and wellness space, John Standley, chairman and chief executive officer of Rite Aid, said when the deal was announced late last month. The proposed merger will transform Rite Aid through the addition
BENTONVILLE, Ark. — George Riedl, senior vice president at Walmart and president of the Walmart Health and Wellness division, has left the company. A Walmart spokeswoman said that Riedl, a key pharmacy executive at the retail giant, departed effective March 16. The company didn’t say if a successor had been named. A former Walgreens executive,
BLOOMFIELD, Conn. — Another blockbuster merger is adding momentum to the consolidation wave sweeping through the health care sector, and again crossing industry segments. Health insurer Cigna Corp. plans to acquire pharmacy benefits manager Express Scripts in a $67 billion cash and stock deal. Under the agreement, unveiled earlier this month, Cigna will pay Express
NEW YORK — It is a pivotal juncture for the beauty care category in the drug channel. Retailers and brands need to devise a game plan to wrest the business away from prestige power players. Sales in cosmetics, skin care and grooming are firing on all cylinders — but sadly, not in the mass beauty
SEATTLE— Amazon.com plans to offer discounts on its Amazon Prime service to Medicaid recipients. Low-income individuals who are eligible for the government health insurance program will be able to sign up for Prime for $5.99 a month, a $7 discount from its standard monthly cost of $12.99. To qualify for the Amazon Prime Medicaid discount,
