You can read the full January 10 print issue of Chain Drug Review in its entirety here. In CDR’s digital editions, you can find special sections and additional pages not posted online. You will need to register, but subscription is free!
DEERFIELD, Ill. — When Alex Gourlay came to the United States in October 2013 to join Walgreens in the wake of its merger with Alliance Boots Group, he brought with him a keen sense of purpose. After beginning his career as a pharmacist at Boots the Chemist, the leading drug store chain in Great Britain,
LINTHICUM, Md. — CARE Pharmacies is continuing to make its mark in the industry with new programs and initiatives to serve its growing membership that has seen its footprint rise to almost 130 pharmacies in 23 states. The Maryland-based company has added to its track record of growth by watching its sales expand to almost
BENTONVILLE, Ark. — For Walmart’s Julie Barber, transitioning from food merchandising to a top position in the company’s health and wellness merchandising business, was “a perfect next step.” In the earlier role, she explains, she was already focused on health, because what people eat is so central to their well-being. “We were really leaning in
Through value-based arrangements (VBAs) and speed to standards development, NCPDP is taking bold steps to help power a new health care paradigm focused on improving patient health outcomes and reducing costs. It’s a paradigm that changes the dynamics between payors, providers and patients. It changes the way health care services are coordinated, managed, delivered and
It’s my pleasure to share insights on the future of health care as the chief executive officer of Pharmacy Quality Alliance. I assumed this role in February 2021, taking over for PQA’s founding CEO, Laura Cranston. It’s an honor to follow her legacy. I joined PQA after serving for more than 12 years at the
DEERFIELD, Ill. — Rick Gates developed a passion for retail pharmacy early on working at an independent drug store while still in high school. Today, as senior vice president of pharmacy and health care at Walgreens, he is making it possible for thousands of pharmacists to have an even greater impact on patient care. “The
2021 has finally faded into the rearview mirror. While it’s tempting to say, “Good riddance,” I will briefly reflect on this challenging year before moving on to my vision for 2022. 2021 started with hope. We finally had vaccines and, due to decades of advocacy from organizations like APhA, pharmacy was perfectly positioned to save
Each new year offers a time for reflection. There’s also a readiness to shake off the old and leap optimistically toward a promising future. I’ve never felt so optimistic about the possibilities on the horizon for pharmacy, especially when reflecting on our accomplishments over last year. For our association, 2021 was a year of remarkable
The COVID-19 pandemic made the last year both an extraordinary and challenging time to work in health care. Development, distribution and administration of new vaccines, treatments and preventatives moved at a pace never before experienced. Pharmacists and other health care practitioners were called to the front lines of a mass vaccination effort, working to balance
FRISCO, Texas — Leading with heart and empathy was the overarching theme of the Second Annual Business Partner Awards hosted by Urban Hydration last month. “The most important part of any great leader is leading with your heart. If you start there, with having empathy, care, compassion and inclusivity in your thinking, the rest will
Throughout 2021, lawmakers engaged in a robust debate over ways to lower the cost of prescription drugs. Our industry was at the center of this debate, fighting for reforms that would lower costs at the pharmacy while preserving patient access to life-saving medicines and future innovation. Unfortunately, Congress refused to take a holistic approach that
Over the past two years, our health care system’s strengths and weaknesses have come into sharper focus. As our country continues to adapt to the new COVID-19 landscape — a feat largely made possible by effective vaccines and more recently, antiviral treatment for patients with COVID-19 — the medical community can focus on addressing and
ARLINGTON, Va. — Author and consultant Jim Collins is perhaps best known for applying the concept of the flywheel effect to the business world. Introduced in his book Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don’t, the theory eschews the notion that an organization advances by sudden, dramatic surges, asserting instead
Specialty pharmacies support patients diagnosed with life-altering and oftentimes life threatening complex health conditions, including cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, cystic fibrosis, hemophilia, rare and orphan diseases and organ transplantation. The National Association of Specialty Pharmacy is a nonprofit trade organization and the only national association representing all specialty pharmacy industry stakeholders. The mission of
