Content about Caremark Rx

WOONSOCKET, R.I. MinuteClinic has named Nancy Gagliano as its new chief medical officer.

"We are thrilled to have Nancy Gagliano join us as our chief medical officer at MinuteClinic," stated Andrew Sussman, M.D., president of MinuteClinic and SVP/associate chief medical officer at CVS Caremark. "Nancy has a superb background in clinical primary care and ambulatory care leadership. She will add great insight and experience to our leadership team as we continue to provide the highest quality care to our patients."

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT There’s more than one way to help employers desperate to cut their health plan costs.

(THE NEWS: Walgreens pursuing Rx contract with Delta Air Lines, report says. For the full story, click here)

WOONSOCKET, R.I. Most employers consider managing costs a top priority in 2010, according to CVS Caremark’s annual employer survey.

February was a busy month for CVS Caremark. First it was a party on Beale Street as the chain announced its entry into Memphis. A week later, it broke out the pina coladas as it cut the ribbon on its first store in Puerto Rico. In January, it was Budweiser in St. Louis.

There are just eight states in which CVS does not operate stores: Alaska, Arkansas, Idaho, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. In drug store retailing, being able to provide coverage “from sea to shining sea” means a lot when you try to sell your services to big healthcare payers.

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT The news that CVS Caremark is making an investment to integrate its five pharmacy benefit management units isn’t really a big surprise and, in fact, could have some industry observers wondering what took this well-oiled acquisition machine so long.

(THE NEWS: Report: CVS Caremark to merge PBM units. For the full story, click here)

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY ITS IMPORTANT Some investors quoted in published reports foresee huge gains for such retail pharmacy chains as CVS and Walgreens, as blockbuster drugs like Pfizer’s Lipitor (atorvastatin) and Sanofi-Aventis’ and Bristol-Myers Squibb’s Plavix (clopidogrel bisulfate) come off patent and face generic competition, but they would do well to remember an important factor: the patent cliff.