Content about forward

Walgreens just took another leap forward in its drive to become America’s “first choice for health and daily living” and “a centerpiece in improving patients’ overall health.”

Bob Loeffler, NACDS chairman and chief administrative officer of H-E-B, reflects on his time as chairman and shares his insights on the issues facing retail pharmacy today and tomorrow.

DSN: Last year, you emphasized the “new normal,” which seemed to refer to the need to proactively position the benefits of retail pharmacy. How has the “new normal” played out?

The Emdeon team always looks forward to the NCPDP Annual Conference. The 2012 version is coming up in early May at the Arizona Biltmore. As expected, NCPDP has done an excellent job in scheduling a large number of important and interesting topics. Emdeon’s Lathe Bigler will be discussing the impact of  health information exchanges (HIEs) and accountable care organizations (ACOs) on our industry, and I am scheduled to talk about the industry’s observations and lessons learned regarding the implementation of D.0.

LOS ANGELES — Curls hair care founder Mahisha Dellinger celebrated a decade of curl power with a star-studded blowout bash at the Rolling Stone Lounge in Hollywood, during which she announced the acquisition of the Kynx hair care collection.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — On the eve of a potential Federal Trade Commission approval of the Express Scripts-Medco merger, Walgreens' underlying fundamentals still are strong, Walgreens president and CEO Greg Wasson told analysts Tuesday morning. It's that underlying strength that has helped Walgreens in the wake of its exit from the Express Scripts pharmacy benefit network, a factor that impacted Walgreens' net earnings by 7 cents per diluted share for its second quarter ended Feb. 29.

BONITA SPRINGS, Fla. — In excess of $102 billion. That's the value over-the-counter medicine delivers to the U.S. healthcare system, Consumer Healthcare Products Association leaders shared with attendees of the CHPA Annual Executive Conference held here Friday morning.

CHICAGO — According to “Merchandising Trends: Driving Consumption through Shopper Marketing,” a new report published earlier this week by SymphonyIRI Group, merchandising continues to play an important role at retail. In 2011, 47% of consumer packaged goods categories enjoyed increased merchandising support, including displays, feature ads, feature and display combined, and price reduction only.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California state officials tentatively are blocked from moving forward with a 10% Medi-Cal reimbursement rate cut.

The court decision, handed down by Judge Christina Snyder, was applauded by several organizations, including the California Medical Association, the California Dental Association, the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, the California Association of Medical Product Suppliers, the AIDS Healthcare Foundation and the American Medical Response.

WASHINGTON — The National Retail Federation is moving forward with a campaign that seeks to show the role the retail industry plays in powering economic growth and job creation, and engages business, political, industry and civic leaders in a conversation about the retail industry’s public policy priorities.

As we welcome a new year, it is exciting to see all the changes headed our way. With all the movement around healthcare reform and technology, we in the pharmacy industry are quick to point out that this industry is years ahead of the rest of health care in terms of payment solutions and automated workflow. The rest of the industry is running to catch up — but right now the pharmacy industry is far from where we need to be to address critical factors in our industry.

HOUSTON — It’s the new year, and for many people that means setting a resolution to drop those extra pounds. In an effort to help consumers meet that goal, RediClinic is offering an introductory price for its Weigh Forward weight-loss program.

The exclusive limited-time offer gives patients access to one visit with a specially-trained clinician at RediClinic. The introductory package, priced at $99, also includes:

• Three weeks of meal plans and a selection of recipes;

• Physical exam;

With a new CEO at the helm and a revamped line of hair care products, ethnic beauty brand Dr. Miracle’s had a lot to celebrate during its stylish bash at the Sky Room in New York City in November.

Beauty press and bloggers were among those who gathered at the chic rooftop lounge on Nov. 9 to celebrate the product relaunch and take in the city view.