Drug Fix

05/17/2013 - 3:23pm
U.K. deal-maker Stefano Pessina confident in profitable 2013-2014 for Alliance Boots

Alliance Boots posted a double-digit adjusted profit gain of 12.7% to $1.2 billion for its year ended March 31. Almost half of that profit is staked by Walgreens with its 45% share of the European pharmaceutical distributing powerhouse.

A couple days later, Alliance Boots along with Walgreens and AmerisourceBergen announced the necessary regulatory clearances on that strategic partnership, cementing the three companies in place as the largest generic pharmaceutical acquisition company in the world. That deal will further enable the company's to realize greater profit margins.

05/17/2013 - 1:34pm
Gimme that old-time prescription: 175-year-old pharmacy mixes old-fashioned business with new ideas

Long Island University gave its Distinguished Alumnus award to C.O. Bigelow Apothecaries owner Ian Ginsberg, a 1985 graduate of the university's pharmacy school.

C.O. Bigelow isn't just any drug store - it's the oldest one in the country, having been founded in 1838. Ginsberg's family has owned it since his grandfather, William Ginsberg, bought it in 1939. So, as one might ask a centenarian, what's C.O. Bigelow's secret?

05/17/2013 - 1:13pm
Spotlight on practice, graduate nursing education partnership shining brighter

During the 2013 Retail Clinician Education Congress last week in Las Vegas, a select group of leaders in graduate nursing education and nursing practice gathered for a historic roundtable discussion.

The roundtable discussion was indeed historic and marked an important event within the convenient care industry as nurse leaders and universities came together to talk and strategize on ways to strengthen the relationship between practice and graduate nursing education in emerging models of care.

05/10/2013 - 4:15pm
NASP helping to establish clarity within a fractured specialty pharmacy market

The Specialty Pharmacy Certification Board will begin certifying specialty pharmacists who pass a comprehensive exam in October. The exam is designed to cover the entire specialty pharmacy process, including intake, clinical management, fulfillment and outcomes.

The National Association of Specialty Pharmacy, which oversees the SPCB, is bringing to bear some real advocacy and structure to the highly fragmented specialty pharmacy marketplace. The DSN Group, including its specialty pharmacy publication of the same name Specialty Pharmacy, applauds these efforts.

05/10/2013 - 3:48pm
Congressional leaders are actively listening to what today's health and wellness leaders have to say

More than 300 community pharmacists helped educate their legislators over crucial small business issues as part of the NCPA's 2013 Legislative and Government Affairs conference. All told, the pharmacists conducted more than 500 meetings with congressional offices.

There is a reason why our industry is poised to play a larger role in health reform. Five years ago or more, the PBMs had Washington's ear. But today, pharmacy is doing a much better job of telling its story. Counting NACDS' recent RX Impact day, retail pharmacy has conducted more than 900 meetings with legislators in the past eight weeks or so.

05/10/2013 - 3:11pm
Rite Aid finds its niche 'well'

Rite Aid announced Wednesday that it has converted nearly all its stores in the Buffalo, N.Y., area to the Wellness store format, breaking the news with an event in the nearby village of Williamsville that included president, chairman and CEO John Standley, COO Ken Martindale and fitness expert Denise Austin.

Just as writers find their voices, Rite Aid has paved its road with wellness. Evidence of that was clear when it announced its latest last month, raking in a $123.1 million profit for the fourth quarter and a $118.1 million profit for the fiscal year, its first profitable year since 2007.

05/03/2013 - 3:39pm
Expansion of in-store health kiosks setting stage for pharmacy web of improved-outcome solutions

Kinney Drugs, with its almost-100 locations located primarily in upstate New York, is the latest pharmacy to capitalize on the robust offerings available through in-store health kiosks. Because it isn't only about taking that random blood pressure check anymore.

No, the in-store health kiosks going into stores today are designed to augment outcomes-based health care. For example, through the use of "smart cards," PharmaSmart helps track historical health metrics across its trademarked Blood Pressure Tracker web portal.

05/03/2013 - 2:36pm
CVS Caremark's integrated model continues to prove successful in Q1 results

CVS Caremark executives were upbeat during last week’s conference call with analysts as the company pulled in a “strong” first quarter and narrowed its 2013 guidance to reflect higher-than-expected performance.

The positive start to 2013 is important as it further demonstrates that CVS Caremark’s distinctive, integrated healthcare model is resonating and spelling success for this pharmacy innovation company.

05/03/2013 - 2:12pm
Retail sector's success shows the importance of innovation

Jobs data from the Department of Labor released Friday show that among the 165,000 jobs added overall were 29,000 in the retail sector, results that industry trade group the National Retail Federation heralded as possibly boding well for the economy in the future.

While the numbers themselves speak volumes, it's important to consider some of the factors behind them that explain why the sector has thrived.

04/26/2013 - 3:32pm
From top to bottom, retail pharmacy will prove pharmacist role in improving patient outcomes

Pharmacy's value as part of an outcomes-based healthcare alignment was the highlight of the closing business presentation at the National Association of Chain Drug Stores' 2013 Annual Conference. And now it's up to NACDS members to expose Congress leaders to that value quotient on a regular basis.

That was the message shared by incoming NACDS chairman Bob Narveson. It goes to show that even as the gavel passes from the head of one of the industry's largest pharmacy chains to one of the smaller chains, innovation in patient care is happening at all levels.