Content about Governor

October 19, 2011

RedPrairie, a global supply chain and retail technology provider, on Tuesday announced the appointment of former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty to RedPrairie's board of directors.

ATLANTA — RedPrairie, a global supply chain and retail technology provider, on Tuesday announced the appointment of former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty to RedPrairie's board of directors.

Pawlenty is the keynote speaker at the 13th Annual Drug Store News Industry Issue Summit on Nov. 29 in New York.

October 11, 2011

At the beginning of the year, a major global controversy was settled when it turned out that a study published in The Lancet in 1998 linking the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine to autism in children turned out to be a whopper of a fraud.


At the beginning of the year, a major global controversy was settled when it turned out that a study published in The Lancet in 1998 linking the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine to autism in children turned out to be a whopper of a fraud.


But despite the exposure of the study’s author — and outbreaks of preventable diseases among children in the United States and Europe, thanks to parents who opted to have their kids vaccinated — it appears that sowing fear of childhood vaccines still appears to have some currency.


September 14, 2011

Attacks on a human papillomavirus vaccine made amid an increasingly caustic Republican presidential primary battle have drawn a response from the manufacturer.

NEW YORK — Attacks on a human papillomavirus vaccine made amid an increasingly caustic Republican presidential primary battle have drawn a response from the manufacturer.

August 24, 2011

Pharmacists are urging New York governor Andrew Cuomo to give the green light to legislation that would prevent health insurers from requiring patients to receive their drugs via mail order, according to published reports.

NEW YORK — Pharmacists are urging New York governor Andrew Cuomo to give the green light to legislation that would prevent health insurers from requiring patients to receive their drugs via mail order, according to published reports.

According to the reports, local pharmacists said at a press conference that the bill would help stop losses of pharmacies and jobs.

August 15, 2011

This isn't just about mail order in New York state. This is about the future of the pharmacy benefit management market and what payers are more likely to spend their money on.

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT’S IMPORTANT — This isn't just about mail order in New York state. This is about the future of the pharmacy benefit management market and what payers are more likely to spend their money on. It's about choice. And because of that, this is just another story in what has been a very busy news cycle on the PBM front, driven primarily by the anti-mandatory mail-order bill battle in New York, reactions to two contradictory studies on patients regarding mail order and adherence, and continued challenges to the proposed ESI-Medco merger.

August 9, 2011

A bill awaiting a signature or veto from New York governor Andrew Cuomo that would restrict home delivery of chronic medications has attracted criticism from the Federal Trade Commission and the pharmacy benefit manager lobby.

WASHINGTON — A bill awaiting a signature or veto from New York governor Andrew Cuomo that would restrict home delivery of chronic medications has attracted criticism from the Federal Trade Commission and the pharmacy benefit manager lobby.

In a letter to New York state Sen. James Seward responding to the senator's request for comments, the FTC said New York Assembly Bill 5502-B would harm consumers and raise the prices of drugs while reducing access to them.

April 28, 2011

Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour recently signed into law the Mississippi Pharmacy Practice Act, which establishes oversight of pharmacy benefit managers (defined as nonresident pharmacies) by the Mississippi Board of Pharmacy.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour recently signed into law the Mississippi Pharmacy Practice Act, which establishes oversight of pharmacy benefit managers (defined as nonresident pharmacies) by the Mississippi Board of Pharmacy.

The law goes into effect July 1.

April 27, 2011

Kroger has named Keith Dailey as the company's external corporate communications director.

CINCINNATI — Kroger has named Keith Dailey as the company's external corporate communications director.

According to the company, Dailey will oversee national media communications for Kroger, which operates 2,458 supermarkets and multidepartment stores in 31 states under two dozen local banner names.

Serving as the spokesman for such a large company should come easy to Dailey. As the communications director for former Ohio governor Ted Strickland, Dailey likely had his fair share of media issues to tackle.

April 19, 2011

As part of Earth Month in Illinois, Gov. Patrick Quinn Tuesday morning toured a Walgreens drug store in Oak Park that features the first geothermal energy system used in a chain drug store in the country, Walgreens stated in a release.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — As part of Earth Month in Illinois, Gov. Patrick Quinn Tuesday morning toured a Walgreens drug store in Oak Park that features the first geothermal energy system used in a chain drug store in the country, Walgreens stated in a release.

February 25, 2011

In his 2011-2012 budget, New York governor Andrew Cuomo included a proposal to update New York’s Medicaid program. The announcement comes at the heels of New Jersey governor Chris Christie's motion to modernize the state's Medicaid plan.

WASHINGTON — In his 2011-2012 budget, New York governor Andrew Cuomo included a proposal to update New York’s Medicaid program. The announcement comes at the heels of New Jersey governor Chris Christie's motion to modernize the state's Medicaid plan.

Similarly to New Jersey's plan, Cuomo said New York's “Proposal to Redesign Medicaid” could save state taxpayers $350 million though 2015 by managing prescription drug benefits similarly to those in Medicare and private-sector programs.

February 23, 2011

A group representing the nation's pharmacy benefit managers is responding to a proposal made by New Jersey governor Chris Christie that seeks to modernize the state's Medicaid program.

WASHINGTON — A group representing the nation's pharmacy benefit managers is responding to a proposal made by New Jersey governor Chris Christie that seeks to modernize the state's Medicaid program.

Christie said the proposed overhaul, which includes managing prescription drug benefits similarly to those in Medicare and private-sector programs, would save the state $41 million, “while still providing vital services,” the governor said.

February 18, 2011

The National Association of Chain Drug Stores and the National Community Pharmacists Association on Friday sent a joint letter to every governor and state Medicaid director on the importance of pharmacies in Medicaid and the industry’s interest in working with state governments to cut costs.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The National Association of Chain Drug Stores and the National Community Pharmacists Association on Friday sent a joint letter to every governor and state Medicaid director on the importance of pharmacies in Medicaid and the industry’s interest in working with state governments to cut costs.

February 1, 2011

Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee last week appointed Helena Foulkes, EVP and chief marketing officer for CVS Caremark, to the R.I. Economic Development Corp. board of directors, according to published reports.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee last week appointed Helena Foulkes, EVP and chief marketing officer for CVS Caremark, to the R.I. Economic Development Corp. board of directors, according to published reports.

Foulkes will serve as vice chairwoman of the EDC board. She is the first female to serve in this capacity.

January 5, 2011

Food and Drug Administration principal deputy commissioner Joshua Sharfstein will leave the agency to become head of the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, according to published reports.

SILVER SPRING, Md. — Food and Drug Administration principal deputy commissioner Joshua Sharfstein will leave the agency to become head of the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, according to published reports.

The Washington Post reported Wednesday that Sharfstein, the FDA’s top official after commissioner Margaret Hamburg, had received an invitation to head the state health department from Gov. Martin O’Malley.

Before assuming his position at the FDA, Sharfstein served as head of the Baltimore City Health Department.

December 23, 2010

The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board just delivered a rather large lump of coal to those 30-some-odd supermarkets carrying these wine kiosks, especially as retail wine sales for 2010 appear to be on a significant upswing since Thanksgiving.

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT’S IMPORTANT — The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board just delivered a rather large lump of coal to those 30-some-odd supermarkets carrying these wine kiosks, especially as retail wine sales for 2010 appear to be on a significant upswing since Thanksgiving.

(THE NEWS: Pa. supermarket wine kiosks taken off-line. For the full story, click here)

December 22, 2010

Carol Kelly, SVP government affairs and public policy for NACDS, spoke with Drug Store News on Dec. 20 about what the state Medicaid budget crisis means for pharmacies in Washington, what NACDS is doing to resolve the issue and how the state could address its healthcare costs more effectively.

A budgetary crisis in Washington state has spawned new threats to pharmacy retailers as lawmakers and Gov. Chris Greqoire grapple with an expected shortfall of $1.4 billion in 2011.

December 3, 2010

The forward-looking vision employed by Gov. Jay Nixon in exploring “next steps” in fighting methamphetamine abuse before even the last step has been put into place and enacted is, in a matter of speaking, extremely short-sighted. It doesn’t even make fiscal sense, because the National Precursor Log Exchange will do more to curb many of the costs associated with fighting meth addicts without conversely increasing the costs associated with fighting a cold. And truth be told, there are probably a lot more stuffy heads in Missouri than there are meth addicts.

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT — The forward-looking vision employed by Gov. Jay Nixon in exploring “next steps” in fighting methamphetamine abuse before even the last step has been put into place and enacted is, in a matter of speaking, extremely short-sighted. It doesn’t even make fiscal sense, because the National Precursor Log Exchange will do more to curb many of the costs associated with fighting meth addicts without conversely increasing the costs associated with fighting a cold.

December 1, 2010

Gov. Jay Nixon, D-Mo., on Tuesday campaigned for a sweeping expansion of efforts to battle methamphetamine, including legislation that would make Missouri the third state in the nation to require a prescription for the cough-cold ingredient pseudoephedrine.

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (Dec. 1) Gov. Jay Nixon, D-Mo., on Tuesday campaigned for a sweeping expansion of efforts to battle methamphetamine, including legislation that would make Missouri the third state in the nation to require a prescription for the cough-cold ingredient pseudoephedrine.

It’s not a new issue for the Show Me State — several local municipalities that fall between St. Louis and the Missouri capital of Jefferson City last year passed local ordinances that required prescriptions for PSE products.

November 9, 2010

Budget cuts in Washington state to its Medicaid programs have created a “perilous situation” for...

ALEXANDRIA, Va. Budget cuts in Washington state to its Medicaid programs have created a “perilous situation” for retail pharmacies and their patients, the National Association of Chain Drug Stores warned on Wednesday, and could “pose danger as a precedent for other states across the nation as well,” according to the group.

 

August 25, 2010

Kroger has announced that it will be opening its first Marketplace Store in Little Rock,...

August 2, 2010

The third annual Retail Clinician Education Congress kicked off here Monday, attracting nearly 500 nurse...

ORLANDO, Fla. The third annual Retail Clinician Education Congress kicked off here Monday, attracting nearly 500 nurse practitioners for the two-and-a-half-day live continuing education conference for retail-based healthcare providers. Hosted by Retail Clinician magazine in conjunction with the Convenient Care Association, RCEC 2010 convened in line with the start of National Convenient Care Clinic Week, which became official last week when Sens. Dan Inouye, D-Hawaii, and Thad Cochran, D-Miss., introduced a Senate resolution.

July 14, 2010

The National Association of Chain Drug Stores applauded a bill signed by Louisiana government officials...

ALEXANDRIA, Va. The National Association of Chain Drug Stores applauded a bill signed by Louisiana government officials that will enable pharmacists to administer medication therapy management services to patients in the state.

The newly-enacted law -- signed June 25 by Gov. Bobby Jindal (D) and introduced by pharmacist Rep. Fred Mills, D-St. Martin -- gives authority to the state Department of Health and Hospitals to create an MTM pharmacy program.

 

November 8, 2009

The ultimate impact in allowing local municipalities to regulate what’s prescription and what isn’t, will...

NEW YORK The ultimate impact in allowing local municipalities to regulate what’s prescription and what isn’t, will more than quadruple the price of nonprescription medicines, and not just decongestants. And that’s outrageous.

 

October 25, 2009

Remember “Gilligan’s Island?” Man, that was a great show. The thing about “Gilligan’s Island” was...

Remember “Gilligan’s Island?” Man, that was a great show. The thing about “Gilligan’s Island” was that no matter what else happened, you just knew they were never getting off that island.

It really didn’t matter how rock bands, movie stars or Russian cosmonauts washed up on shore, the passengers and crew of the S.S. Minnow were never getting off that island.

And that’s why eventually you just had to stop watching. You already knew the ending, and at some point the jokes just got stale.

January 18, 2009

The Ohio Legislature’s passage of a law named for a young girl who died after...

The Ohio Legislature’s passage of a law named for a young girl who died after receiving the wrong IV solution to require a background check and competency test certified by the Ohio State Board of Pharmacy for pharmacy technicians provides a new measure of safety for patients.