With the rising pharmacy spend driven by expensive novel therapies, the path from physician prescribing to the patient starting therapy has become increasingly complex and opaque. The combination of rigorous payer utilization management requirements and higher out-of-pocket has complicated the process, generating barriers to medication access and diluting the patient experience, which is resulting in
So, you just grew your Amazon business to surpass the $10 million mark and you are looking at other points of distribution. A colleague or investor suggests that you launch in Target. It sounds like a great idea. But are you ready for that point of distribution? Let’s revisit the 3 Ps of marketing: product,
It’s time for retailers — and their brand partners — to stop “trying harder” and start “trying differently.” Based on a report released by Coresight Research, “Retail Merchandising: Unveiling Hidden Gaps and Inefficiencies,” a lack of planogram compliance and ineffective localization continues to complicate the merchandising process. The proliferation of shopping channels, more digitally adept
ARLINGTON, Va. — In its 90th anniversary year, the National Association of Chain Drug Stores remains focused on leading the future of an industry dedicated to advancing health and wellness for all Americans. One of its major initiatives — NACDS 2023 — reflects this promise. NACDS 2023 is positioning the association to add continued value
The future of the pharmacy profession is at a tipping point. The wake of the pandemic produced waves of opportunities and challenges that will change pharmacy practice for better or worse. Americans spent more time in pharmacies over the last two years than ever before. Public perception has changed. Now, more than 72% of consumers
The year is not starting with a bang, but with a slow and uncertain step forward. Inflation is still rising; the threat of a recession looms on the horizon. So how are CEOs approaching 2023? What will the year hold for health and wellness companies? To get a view of major corporate project priorities in
Is a regulatory reckoning just around the corner for vitamins, minerals, herbals and supplements? The more my partners and I at the New England Consulting group look at some of NIH’s (National Institutes of Health’s) recent programming and FTC’s (Federal Trade Commission’s) enforcement actions since the beginning of COVID and their recent publication, “FTC (2023)
One of the key insights coming out of our latest How America Shops research is how much people’s trust has been eroded over the last several years. I suppose that shouldn’t be a surprise in this day and age when the world is in such turmoil. However, we can’t only blame politicians and bankers and
ARLINGTON, Va. — Momentum for pro-pharmacy legislation is building in both political parties and in both houses of Congress, as the industry’s invaluable role during the pandemic continues to shape the views of lawmakers and the public. “There’s a lot going on, and it’s bipartisan and bicameral,” says Steve Anderson, president and chief executive officer
The National Association of Chain Drug Stores is about to convene its Annual Meeting, that laudable and impressive gathering of mass retailers and suppliers that highlights every spring. This year’s event is, if possible, even more critical for mass retailing’s future, given the forced infection-imposed hiatus that curtailed recent gatherings. Yet this year’s Annual Meeting
NEW YORK — Amazon has put another building block in place as it works to bring the experience of pharmacy customers fully into the digital era. This morning the company unveiled a feature on the Amazon Pharmacy website that automatically applies coupons offered by a select group of brand-name drug makers to the orders of
The dispensing of mifepristone, one of two medications used sequentially to terminate pregnancy, has emerged as a very thorny problem for Walgreens, one that will, in short order, engulf other retail pharmacies across the country. The issue burst into prominence at the beginning of February when the attorneys general of 20 states wrote a letter
After three years of the pandemic, consumers are returning to health care. But they are not returning to the same health care landscape, nor are they behaving in the same manner. The pent-up post-pandemic demand for health care services has created longer wait times at traditional point-of-care locations like primary care offices, pushing consumers to
Walgreens (along with CVS, Rite Aid and several regional mass retailers) has been in the news recently, though not for the usual reasons — and not under the most favorable circumstances. Along with other newspapers and periodicals, The New York Times has lately put Walgreens in its cross hairs, with attention-grabbing headlines such as these:
