Walgreens, OptumRx renew agreement
Walgreen Co. has extended its partnership with the pharmacy benefits management company OptumRx for several more years.
CDR
Bartell to help celebrate Seattle icon’s 50th anniversary
Bartell Drugs and the Space Needle have established a multidimensional partnership in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the structure — the centerpiece of the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair.
Study finds health care inflation in U.S. at crossroads
U.S. health care spending should grow at an historically low rate of 7.
Abreva: Cold sore remedy packaging can be deceiving
Most Americans don’t check ingredients of over-the-counter cold sore medicines and select products based on their packaging, according to a survey by Abreva. The GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare cold sore treatment brand said Tuesday that its poll of 1,000 U.S.
MeadWestvaco to debut new Rx packaging at Walmart
MeadWestvaco Corp. has unveiled new medication packaging for patients and pharmacists called Shellpak Renew, which will make its debut at Walmart.
Mylan launches generics info website in Canada
Mylan Pharmaceuticals ULC, the Canadian arm of Mylan Inc., has introduced an online resource to help Canadians learn more about the value, reliability and quality of generic drugs. Called ChoosingGenerics.
Vicks unveils ZzzQuil sleeping aid
Venerable cough/cold remedy brand Vicks NyQuil has added a sleep aid to its product lineup. The Procter & Gamble Co. brand said Monday that the new over-the-counter product, ZzzQuil, is designed to provide relief for occasional sleeplessness and is non-habit forming.
Sales, earnings down in 3Q at Walgreens
The same day it unveiled a blockbuster partnership with global pharmacy, health and beauty retailer and wholesaler Alliance Boots, Walgreen Co. reported declined sales and earnings for its fiscal 2012 third quarter.
Kerr Health boosts business intelligence capabilities
Kerr Drug Inc. subsidiary Kerr Health is moving to a single platform for data analytics across multiple locations and lines of business. Health care technology provider BioMed Intelligence Inc.
Walmart to adopt systems for Rx, retail clinics
Walmart is slated to leverage technologies that will facilitate back-office pharmacy processing and expand access to health services through its retail medical clinics.
Walgreens to buy 45% stake in Alliance Boots
Walgreen Co. plans to acquire a 45% equity interest in global pharmaceutical, health and beauty retailer and wholesaler Alliance Boots for $6.7 billion in cash and stock, with the option to buy the remaining 55% of the company in about three years for $9.5 billion in cash and stock.
Walgreens spurs effort to employ people with disabilities
In a summit hosted by Walgreen Co. at the drug chain’s distribution center here, top executives from over a dozen major U.S. companies and government officials kicked off a national public-private sector initiative to further employment of people with disabilities.
Back-to-school shoppers look to spend more, poll finds
Almost half of consumers plan to spend more this back-to-school shopping season than they did in 2011, according to a poll by PriceGrabber.
Analyst: PBMs see little uptake on narrow networks
Leading pharmacy benefit managers report that client interest in narrow pharmacy networks has picked up, but so far few have been willing to proceed. In presentations at William Blair & Co.’s 32nd Annual Growth Stock Conference here last week, Express Scripts Inc. and CVS Caremark Corp.
Alliance Boots begins where other companies leave off
Quickly now, who is the most innovative, enlightened and successful drug retailing/wholesaling executive on the planet? Is it a) Larry Merlo, b) Greg Wasson, c) John Standley or d) Stefano Pessina. If you answered d), you clearly know your way around the retail and wholesale drug business.
NACDS Total Store Expo will require engagement
As retailers and suppliers go about their business at the final National Association of Chain Drug Stores Marketplace Conference, which runs through Tuesday at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, it’s not too early to start thinking about the event that will succeed it on the retail calendar i