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ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The National Community Pharmacists Association on Wednesday announced its federal and state legislative priorities with the release of the Independent Community Pharmacy Checklist. The one-page document details the main legislative actions NCPA and its members will advocate for this year at the federal and state levels. 

Positioning a knowledgeable healthcare advocate in the front-end aisles isn’t new — Pharmaca has banked on this key point of differentiation since its inception more than a decade ago. “Anytime you put anybody in the aisle for customer service, you’re going to increase your sales,” commented Mark Panzer, Pharmaca CEO. “Because people are looking for information; they’re looking for recommendations, a consultation to help them establish a regimen … to improve their health condition,” he said.

While the picture of a new Rx-to-OTC switch paradigm is being painted with a broad stroke brush, already there are two divergent pathways emerging around what that new paradigm landscape might look like. 


OTC manufacturers have been framing the new paradigm within the existing two-drug-class system, suggesting that the diagnostic tools that already are available in the marketplace significantly could help expand which medicines are considered appropriate in the OTC space.


Retail pharmacists, on the other hand, are advocating for the creation of a third class of drugs.


ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The National Association of Chain Drug Stores on Monday announced that state health policy professional Leigh Knotts will serve as director of state government affairs, responsible for advocacy in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, South Carolina and Tennessee.

Knotts will join NACDS’ state team, for a total of six state directors, all of whom report to Sandra Guckian, NACDS VP state government affairs.

WASHINGTON — The Consumer Healthcare Products Association on Tuesday named John Gay as the association's VP government affairs. Gay will begin his duties March 8.

Reporting to CHPA president and CEO Scott Melville, Gay will oversee the association’s state and federal government affairs departments, its political action committee, and will serve as a member of the association’s senior management team.

PHILADELPHIA — The Fellowship of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia on Friday elected the first nurse practitioner to its ranks: Sandra Ryan, Walgreens' Take Care Health Systems chief nurse practitioner officer and clinical advocate.

NORTH BETHESDA, Md. — The industry has lost a true “patriot of pharmacy practice.”

Drug Store News is saddened to report the passing Friday evening of longtime industry veteran Leonard “Len” DeMino. DeMino was 81.

WILLOUGHBY, Ohio — The new Max-Wellness at the Lake Health’s West Medical Center is a smaller-format store specifically designed for hospitals. The approximately 600-sq.-ft. location adjacent to the hospital gift shop features wellness products specifically tailored to the needs of patients. In fact, Max-Wellness collaborates with the healthcare professionals at the hospital around that product selection.


PARIS — Liya Kebede has joined the growing roster of L'Oréal Paris representatives.

Kebede, an international model, entrepreneur, actress, humanitarian and advocate for mothers and children, as well as a mother herself, will serve as spokewoman for the brand. She joins such celebrities as Ines de la Fressange, Gwen Stefani, Freida Pinto, Jane Fonda, Aimee Mullins, Jennifer Lopez, Laetitia Casta and Gerard Butler.

WASHINGTON — More than 350 independent pharmacists will be rallying with legislators in the halls of Congress Wednesday to help communicate the value pharmacists contribute to health care and to advocate for specific legislative initiatives as part of the 2011 Legislative and Government Affairs Conference of the National Community Pharmacists Association.

WOONSOCKET, R.I., and OAK BROOK, Ill. — CVS Caremark's retail-based clinic operator, MinuteClinic, has entered into a clinical affiliation with Advocate Health Care and Advocate Physician Partners to enhance the healthcare services provided to patients in communities throughout Chicagoland and central Illinois. The deal marks the largest clinical collaboration between a regional health system and MinuteClinic based on number of in-store clinic locations.