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February 18, 2011
Tech, interconnectivity 
focus of NCPDP summit

Technology is not only bringing more benefits to patients in the pharmacy, but it’s also offering them a host of products so they can be more involved in their health care. This was a theme at the National Council for Prescription Drug Programs’ educational summit, “Leveraging New Technologies: Impact on the Patient and the Healthcare Industry,” on Feb. 8 in Las Vegas.


February 18, 2011
Tennessee latest 
to fight PSE status

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee makes the third state this year, joining Kentucky and Nevada, that is considering state legislation to mandate the sale of pseudoephedrine as prescription-only. That could prove a big concern for the legitimate market for PSE products on account of the potential snowball effect such legislation could have on neighboring states. According to a government review staff in Kentucky, at least 97.8% of all PSE sales are bought for legitimate use.

February 18, 2011
THE CLINICS: Helping ‘Take Care’ of primary care shortage

With pharmaceutical and healthcare expenditures on the rise, a primary care shortage at hand and an expected upswing in patients diagnosed with chronic diseases, there’s no denying that the marketplace is in the midst of an evolution. Despite the challenges, Walgreens’ health-and-wellness division has positioned itself for such changes and, according to headquarter executives, has a winning strategy in place — broadening and deepening its payer relationships.


February 18, 2011
THE MESSAGE: A ‘laser-like focus’ on consumers

Walgreens is ready for its closeup.


After a two-year, top-to-bottom makeover — and a relentless focus on its core customers and its broad mission as a health, wellness and convenient shopping destination — the company that wants to “own well” has honed its message to consumers: Walgreens is ready to be the nation’s top wellness destination.

February 18, 2011
THE PHARMACY: Enter the ‘community health provider’



As the costs of primary care march steadily higher and patients endure ever-longer wait times to see a family physician, the need for accessible, cost-effective patient care alternatives has become both obvious and urgent. 


Enter Walgreens. Armed with new, time-saving 
pharmacy automation tools, a growing offsite-dispensing capability and an array of new adherence and disease-management services, the company heavily is promoting its pharmacists and in-store clinicians as the most cost-effective front-line resource for community-based patient care.


February 18, 2011
THE STORES: CCR and the best of Duane Reade

The CCR foundation has been laid. Now comes the next phase in Walgreens’ campaign to “enhance the customer experience.”


Customer Centric Retailing is rolling across the chain’s coast-to-coast store network like a tide. The effort — aimed at aligning Walgreens’ mix with what its customers really want from the stores; eliminating hundreds of redundant, slow-turning SKUs; and boosting front-end productivity — already has transformed more than 2,100 Walgreens stores. Another 3,400 are up for renovation by the end of this year.

February 18, 2011
The vision:
 Walgreens wants to ‘own well’



Talk about a bold retail vision. Walgreens president and CEO Greg Wasson said the nation’s top pharmacy retailer wants nothing less than to “own well.”

February 18, 2011
THE WEB: Multichannel shoppers

There’s a reason Walgreens’ leaders are pushing so hard to upgrade communications capabilities and reach consumers through every channel, from stores and drive-through pharmacies to social media and smart phones. “Multichannel shoppers are three times more valuable to a retailer than a single-channel shopper,” president and CEO Greg Wasson said in January.


February 18, 2011
Time to ‘smah-ten up’

“Smah-ten up, Ee-dah.” Loosely translated from deep “Mainer-ese,” that means, “smarten up, Eder.”


It’s a voice from my childhood, an old coach and counselor from summer camp, Tobias Woodworth. I called him Toby. He called me “Ee-dah.”


Stuck with me and all my other quasi-incorrigible New York City friends, Toby found himself saying, “smah-ten up!” an awful lot. It could mean anything from “you’ve got two strikes — protect the plate” to “put down that rock.”


February 18, 2011
Tylenol Precise heats up external analgesics sales



McNeil Consumer Healthcare recently parlayed its Tylenol brand franchise into external analgesics to quite a bit of success. For the four weeks ended Dec. 26, 2010, Precise “from the makers of Tylenol” became the No. 3 best-selling heat patch, with $1.9 million in sales across food, drug and mass (excluding Walmart), according to Symphony­IRI Group. And its pain-relieving cream similarly broke in among the top-selling brands — No. 9 with $1.3 million in sales for the four-week period.

February 18, 2011
Walgreens, Supervalu brew biz with beer

CHICAGO — The real question behind the introductions of a store-brand beer from both Walgreens and Supervalu is whether or not the new brews will be hits by year’s end. In other words, can Big Flats 1901 and Buck Range Light be to beer what Trader Joe’s Two-Buck-Chuck was to wine?


February 18, 2011
Walk a mile in these shoes ... then buy ’em

HOOFDORP, Netherlands — Sneaker and sports apparel manufacturer ASICS in March will open a new flagship store here, on the Stadhouderskade, at the entrance of greater Amsterdam’s most popular running path, the Vondelpark.


Beyond the basic sneaker-purchasing experience, the 6,458-sq.-ft. store touts several exclusive features, including:

  • 
Running Lab, which offers extensive body analyses, including foot shape, leg alignment, running technique, strength and endurance, and customized advice on how to improve technique and performance;

February 18, 2011
When cold and flu ‘go viral,’ so do moms

LOS ANGELES — When it comes to choosing the right medicine for their kids, moms go by the book — Facebook, that is. Moms new and old are spending more and more time on mommy blog-type sites and then tweeting or “Facebooking” any interesting tidbits they may find there. It’s a highly engaged group of consumers. According to recent findings by market researcher Morpace, U.S. Facebook users are on the site for one of every three minutes of time they spend online.

February 1, 2011
Biosimilars regulations 
unlikely to unfold soon

As soon as members of Congress took their seats last month, the new Republican majority announced it would make good on its pledge to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The effort largely is symbolic and unlikely to succeed, so at least one portion of the healthcare-reform law will likely remain in effect, namely the abbreviated approval pathway for follow-on biologics, also known as the Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act.


February 1, 2011
Changing Channels: Dry-All smart-phone drying kit, ThinkEco modlet, BodyFit Yoga mat and more

Dry-All smart phone drying kit


February 1, 2011
Cosmetics: Mascara tech innovation helps volumize makeup

Thanks to technological innovations within mascara, the category has driven sales of eye makeup, and looking forward, mascara formulas that are infused with eyelash-enhancing treatments and packaging that offers greater customization not only will volumize lashes but also sales at retail.


Thanks to technological innovations within mascara, the category has driven sales of eye makeup, and looking forward, mascara formulas that are infused with eyelash-enhancing treatments and packaging that offers greater customization not only will volumize lashes but also sales at retail.


February 1, 2011
CVS study: Adherence shrinks health costs

Pharmacy and health policy advocates endlessly tout the cost-saving 
benefits of improved medication adherence. In January, CVS Caremark put more teeth into that argument with some dramatic new findings that should get the attention of every health plan payer.


February 1, 2011
CVS’ innovations far from ‘Just the Basics’ with Bloom at helm

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — Looking for a merchant known for the ability to swiftly understand the big picture and move into action? Look no further than Mike Bloom of CVS/pharmacy.


February 1, 2011
DME: Pressure is on to give aging boomers simplicity

Walgreens generated quite 
the fanfare in January when it announced free blood-pressure screenings across its pharmacies and Take Care Clinics on the “Oprah Winfrey Show.”
 And the timing couldn’t be more perfect — the oldest of the baby boomer generation reach birthday No. 65 in 2011, which means some 10,000 seniors will be celebrating retirement age every day from now through the next 19 years.

Walgreens generated quite 
the fanfare in January when it announced free blood-pressure screenings across its pharmacies and Take Care Clinics on the “Oprah Winfrey Show.”


February 1, 2011
DSN takes lead from ‘King of All Media’



It appears that even the “King of All Media” Howard Stern gets his news from Drug Store News. Traffic on the site spiked in late December when a DrugStoreNews.com story made it into Stern sidekick Robin Quivers’ daily news broadcast during the Thursday, Dec. 16 show. The Stern Web page also linked to the story under the “It’s Time for Robin’s News” section in the rundown for the satellite radio program’s show (“Use lanolin on your cracked nipples” at HowardStern.com/Rundown.hs).


February 1, 2011
Flavor equation

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. — Mars Chocolate North America has added a new product to the Snickers portfolio. Snickers Peanut Butter Squared adds peanut butter to the classic Snickers combination of peanuts, caramel, nougat and milk chocolate. The candy is the top-testing new bar launch for Mars in the last three years.


Each 1.78-oz. single pack includes two square-shaped bars and carries a suggested retail price of 89 cents. The bars also are available in fun-size bags in two sizes: 11.5 oz. and 21.5 oz.


February 1, 2011
Generics discounts ignite Medicare Rx competition

Just when you thought the low end of the generic drug price spectrum couldn’t get any more commoditized, the $2 price point debuted with a big splash in September 2010.


February 1, 2011
Generics to save $70 bn

NEW YORK — The U.S. healthcare system could get at least $70 billion in savings over the next four years thanks to loss of patent protection for branded drugs, according to published reports.


IMS Health SVP Murray Aitken said at the Reuters Health Summit that generics also would increase their dominance in terms of prescriptions dispensed, increasing from 77% during the first half of this year to perhaps 85% by 2014, Reuters reported.


February 1, 2011
Getting to know Lewis Drug’s ‘new face’

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — Welcome to Louise Avenue in Sioux Falls, S.D. — the home of the “new face” of Lewis Drug.


Here within this new store, consumers will experience a larger, revamped pharmacy department with wood flooring, lifestyle images and a waiting area with televisions and refreshments. The beauty area has a more upscale look and feel, and there’s also a walk-in cooler that runs about 100 linear ft. and houses both beverages and adult beverages, including mini-kegs and chilled wine.


February 1, 2011
Giancamilli brings ‘Healthy Living’ to Rexall stores, customers

MISSISSAUGA, Ontario — As CEO of Katz Group Canada and its flagship Rexall chain, Andy Giancamilli has spearheaded a transformation of the company’s approach to drug store retailing and health-and-wellness merchandising. That renewal has spawned a new Rexall prototype store and a new approach to customer segmentation.