Content about Politics

NEW YORK — Rite Aid “likes” this.

Rite Aid became the first drug store retailer to “friend” Pharmacist Society powered by Drug Store News earlier this month, unlocking a host of new tools and functionalities for its pharmacists, and providing the company an entirely new way of connecting with pharmacy students all across the country.

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT’S IMPORTANT — There’s been quite an uproar following healthcare reform’s flexible spending account proposal that in January will force consumers to spend upward of $40 on doctor visit co-pays in order to save some $2.50 for every $10 spent on nonprescription items.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. Heading into the 2010 holiday shopping season, Americans appear ready to repeat unhealthy eating and exercise habits, according to the latest Gallup-Healthways well-being index released Thursday.

BELLEVUE, Wash. Drugstore.com on Tuesday released a statement reminding flexible spending account participants that they need to use the money left in their accounts by the end of the year or they will lose it.

NEW YORK According to a recently published Dow Jones report, state-funded tobacco-prevention programs quickly are becoming the latest casualty of constricting state budgets, prompting concern among public health groups around the nation's progress toward getting adult smokers to quit.

The number of adults who smoke has remained relatively steady since 2004 — 20.6% of the population were smokers in 2009.

WASHINGTON Under the Affordable Care Act, the average savings for those enrolled in traditional Medicare is expected to amount to more than $3,500 over the next 10 years — and will be even higher for seniors and people with diabetes who have high drug costs — according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

WASHINGTON This year’s elections may prove to be a boon to the business of dietary supplements and other natural alternatives, according to John Gay, Natural Products Association executive director and CEO. “This was the most remarkable election in my 25 years in Washington,” he said, “and the effects will be felt almost immediately.”

For example, Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., who must now step down as chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, is seen as a potential positive for the industry, Gay said.

WOONSOCKET, R.I. CVS/pharmacy on Monday announced results of a survey examining various aspects of disease management and lifestyle for patients with diabetes. Of 3,242 respondents with diabetes, 32% reported they have been less vigilant about daily glucose testing due to cost, and as many as 24% of respondents said that cost has led them to be less conscientious about maintaining a proper diet.

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT “We don’t have to be the PBM.” That’s what Greg Wasson, Walgreens president and CEO, told Drug Store News in one interview last year, and it neatly encapsulates the dynamic that may be unfolding behind the scenes at the nation’s top pharmacy retailer.

(THE NEWS: Walgreens said to consider sale of PBM. For the full story, click here)

With strong support from pharmacy leaders, Congress is moving to shut down prescription medication abuse and diversion with a multipronged legislative cudgel.

Prior to its October recess, the U.S. House of Representatives passed three industry-backed bills in September to help seal up the nation’s leaky prescription drug pipeline. The bills are expected to pass under “suspension of the rules,” which allows for expedited consideration of legislation.

WASHINGTON Seven months after President Obama signed the massive health-reform bill into law, Americans remain deeply divided over the controversial overhaul and its potential benefits, a new poll from the Associated Press and the GfK Group revealed.