It occasionally happens — some may say not often enough — that America’s mass retailers reach out, individually or collectively — to recognize the very credible reporting turned in by the bastioned retail trade press. Mostly, however, the trade publishing subsection of the mass retailing community toils in oblivion, content for the occasional word of
Our jobs are very different, though we are both pharmacists contributing to the COVID-19 response, and we are proud of the way our profession has stepped up to help. Perhaps it should be no surprise that Americans have turned to pharmacists when deciding whether or not to get a COVID-19 vaccine. According to the National
Americans consistently say congressional action is needed to lower the price of the medicines we need to stay healthy and live productively. In a January 2021 Politico/Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health survey, drug prices came second only to COVID-19 relief as the issue we care most about, with 95% of Democrats and 82%
Intellectual property has been essential to the research and development of today’s medicines and will lead to the development and treatment of new medicines addressing still unmet needs. IP is at the core of the health system, as it powers the financing model for R&D. Never has this been more important than today, as the
People involved in the industry commonly refer to the companies at its center as chain pharmacies. The trajectory of the business over the past 15 or 20 years has, however, arguably made the term something of a misnomer. During that period, CVS Health, among others, entered pharmacy benefits management; Walgreens Boots Alliance carved out a
A rethink on the front of pharmacy came about when drug stores took note that people coming in to fill prescriptions had some time on their hands and that time and spending power could be put to great use by offering other items those shoppers might need to pick up. Over the years, this basket
Reports from sources close to Walgreens Boots Alliance to the effect that the company’s talented and personable senior executive Alex Gourlay was, for now at least, preparing for retirement brought a sharper reaction from the chain drug community than so important a transition usually elicits. The response was primarily the natural result of the affection
ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J. — Already one of the world’s leading CPG suppliers, Unilever is on course to extend the reach and bolster the impact of its diverse product portfolio. Terry Thomas, executive vice president and chief customer officer for Unilever U.S., is one of the individuals spearheading that effort. Responsible for $12 billion a year
With many nonessential brick-and-mortar retailers being forced to close due to lockdown measures during the pandemic, drug stores were able to fill the void for consumers looking to stock up on beauty and wellness products. In effect, the pandemic made drug stores a premier shopping destination for beauty products. Drug stores catered to a wider
Retail pharmacy operations present significant regulatory risks. In particular, most pharmacies are enrolled as Medicare and Medicaid providers and are therefore subject to complex requirements governing the submission of claims to these government health care programs. Failure to comply with these requirements can result in civil monetary penalties and even exclusion from participation in federally
It wasn’t that long ago that “retail” referred to a local store run by one person who understood every aspect of the business and managed everything by hand. Yet, retailers in general and drug retailers specifically have seen rapid and explosive growth, both geographically and in the complexity of their product offerings and services. Multinational
Amid COVID-19, homebound consumers turned to digital health services, apps and wearables to replace the pharmacies, gyms or doctor’s visits they’d normally go to pre-pandemic. As a result, consumer behaviors have been rewritten, causing nearly every industry to reevaluate how they do business. For drug stores, this means adopting a digital storefront, where they can
The U.S. prescription drug market has reached half a trillion dollars, much of it dominated by large pharmacy service providers. But with a pie this big, it’s little wonder that new players are looking to horn in on the action — in particular “digital native” start-ups that give customers the direct consumer-centric relationship and flexible
Drug stores have been forging partnerships with digital health care and telehealth providers over the last few years to enable a shift from sick care to self-care, empowering shoppers to take ownership of their health and wellness. CVS and Walgreens expanded their digital platforms to offer remote medical services since shoppers are hesitant to see
