Content about healthcare

 CHICAGO — "[The year] 2012 was definitely an important year for Walgreens," Greg Wasson, Walgreens president and CEO, told shareholders here, at the Navy Pier, Wednesday afternoon, at the chain's annual shareholder meeting. "We did make some tough choices to protect and solidify … our position for the long term," he said. "[But] our vision is crystal clear to become the first choice for health and daily living in America."

NEW YORK — Pharmacy benefit manager Catamaran Corp. hopes to expand business with client Cigna Corp. and foresees other opportunities, according to published reports.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens and BMW Manufacturing on Tuesday celebrated the grand opening of a comprehensive worksite health center on the BMW campus in Spartanburg, S.C. The 25,000-square foot facility, managed by Walgreens Employer Solutions Group, will provide BMW associates, dependents and eligible retirees a wide range of health services, including primary and occupational care.

After 20 years at the helm, Safeway CEO Steve Burd last week announced his retirement to spend more time with family and pursue interests in health care. He will be leaving behind a Safeway that's gaining market share with each passing quarter within a highly competitive sector. 

But he shouldn't go far. As a champion of health reform and consumer directed care, Burd will likely continue to be a pioneer in the healthcare space as companies begin to implement Obamacare in 2014.

BLOOMFIELD, Conn. — Reaching out to discharged hospital patients by telephone could help reduce the chances they'll be readmitted in the future, according to a new study by a healthcare service company.

Half of the primary care work-site health centers managed by Walgreens Employer Solutions Group have received AAAHC accreditation as patient-centered medical homes, with plans to have all of the company’s employer-based primary care centers accredited in the first half of 2013.

PALATINE, Ill. — In support of its December launch of the pseudoehedrine product Nexafed, Acura Pharmaceuticals recently kicked off a national e-mail campaign to help drive pharmacists to the Nexafed website with content specifically designed for the pharmacist audience, including infographics, graphic representations of study data and a behind-the-scenes look at Nexafed's abuse-deterrent technology.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens and the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care announced on Thursday that half of the primary care worksite health centers managed by Walgreens Employer Solutions Group have received Medical Home accreditation, with plans to have all of the company’s employer-based primary care centers accredited in the first half of 2013.

PHILADELPHIA — The changing healthcare environment and the challenges and opportunities of specialty pharmacy were the biggest themes at Acro Pharmaceutical Services' sixth annual Payer and Managed Care Symposium in Philadelphia last Thursday.

Representatives from drug makers and across the specialty pharmacy space met at the Hyatt at the Bellevue to discuss a wide variety of topics related to specialty pharmacy.

NEW YORK — What pharmacy lobbying groups and Drug Store News have been saying for a while has reached the mainstream.

The New York Times published an editorial over the weekend recommending that the country address its shortage of primary care doctors by relying more on other healthcare actors — such as pharmacists, nurse practitioners and patients themselves — as well as physician assistants and members of the community.

WASHINGTON — The American Telemedicine Association, the leading nonprofit membership organization for remote medical services, is working with three minority legislative caucuses to educate lawmakers and introduce model legislation for telehealth in statehouses around the country. ATA has formed partnerships with the National Organization of Black Elected Legislative Women (NOBEL), the National Black Caucus of State Legislators (NBCSL) and the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators (NHCSL) with the goal of maximizing state-government support of telemedicine.

PHILADELPHIA — According to a new Wolters Kluwer Health survey, 80% of consumers believe the greater "consumerization" of health care — or the trend of individuals taking a greater and more active role in their own health care — is positive for Americans. Survey data suggests many Americans feel that a greater role in their care is not only good, but necessary, with 86% of consumers reporting that they feel they have to take a more proactive role in managing their own health care in order to ensure better quality of care.