Over the past 18 months, pharmacy has gone from one of the nation’s great hopes to one of the nation’s true heroes in the response to COVID-19. At a March 2020 meeting, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) officials told NACDS members they would be key to meeting Americans’ needs and urged them to
Patient demands are evolving. And with that, so must the patient experience we provide. It’s time we reassess where and how patients are receiving care. The exciting news? Local, community pharmacies continue to win patients with convenience, one-on-one quality care, and tailored programs and services. These are all vital in a post-pandemic environment. But there’s
TORONTO — Shoppers Drug Mart has long enjoyed a reputation for having one of the most compelling and successful front-end presentations of any North American drug store chain. Although the COVID-19 pandemic created considerable challenges for Shoppers, as it did for all retailers, the chain has weathered the turbulence well and is poised for ongoing
President Biden last month signed an executive order intended to limit the clout of big business and enhance competitive prospects for small and mid-sized companies. The sweeping document — which includes 72 specific elements, among them provisions instructing the Food and Drug Administration to clear the way for prescription drug imports from Canada (a very
One could argue, with some degree of logic and certainty, that the most intriguing and significant competition in today’s mass retail community is the duel between Walmart and Amazon. Certainly the stakes are high — with the two retailers occupying the very top rungs of the retail ladder. Then, too, each approaches the market in
NEW YORK — As the Delta variant drove triple-digit increases in new cases of COVID-19 and a double-digit rise in deaths, efforts to vaccinate the rest of the United States population were running up against resistance that is often culturally or ideologically based. The more highly contagious nature of the Delta variant prompted the Centers
Steve Anderson, president and chief executive officer of the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, has once again come to the aid of retail pharmacy, some of whose interactions with patients during the COVID-19 emergency have been called into question by the American Medical Association. The AMA’s house of delegates last month adopted a resolution
In order to get a clear view of the health care issues in the United States, I felt it would be of value to look at my hometown of Cleveland, Ohio. Cleveland is certainly not a huge market, but the history of pharmacy and health care go back more than 60 or 70 years. When
It’s not customary for a publication to tout the editorial relevance of a sister publication, one authored under the same editorial staff. It’s neither customary nor wise. Such praise, most journalists believe, is best left to an outside authority or, at the least, to a supposedly impartial observer. Still, every so often, an article appears
The use of technology has been expanding across retail for years — however, its pervasiveness was accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The integration of technology within the retail ecosystem has become the new normal. This article highlights five technological advancements that have changed the shape of health care delivery and the retail supply chain forever.
Among the many changes wrought by the pandemic has been the heightened focus on diabetes management, given the increased risks to people with the condition. The implications for diabetes care from mass vaccinations and the waning of COVID-19 are discussed on the following pages by chain drug retailers and diabetes product suppliers. CDR: With so
WOONSOCKET, R.I. — With the appointment of Neela Montgomery as president of its retail pharmacy business late last year, CVS Health gained a fresh perspective. With a varied background that includes experience at Crate & Barrel Holdings, the home furnishings retailer where she served as CEO, and Tesco PLC, a U.K.-based purveyor of food and
Let’s face it, the economics surrounding the chain drugstore space are tough and getting tougher every day. Every penny counts. Pharmacy operators have been turning over rocks to find every opportunity to increase revenues and decrease costs: from automation and supply chain management to labor efficiencies and contract negotiations, yet these efforts have only slowed
The National Association of Chain Drug Stores has decided to make this year’s edition of Total Store Expo a virtual event. While the news comes as a disappointment for retailers, CPG suppliers and others in the industry eager to return to face-to-face interaction with business partners, the move makes perfect sense in light of continued
