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Issue 08-08-2016

Efforts to stem prescription drug abuse heat up

Efforts to stem prescription drug abuse heat up

House Speaker Paul Ryan (R., Wis.) has lauded Walgreens for fighting the pervasive problem of prescription drug abuse and ­misuse. Ryan late last month appeared at a Walgreens outlet here, his hometown, to mark Wisconsin’s first in-store drug take-back kiosk.

Kroger ups stake in specialty pharmacy

Kroger ups stake in specialty pharmacy

Axium Pharmacy Holdings Inc., a unit of Kroger Co., has agreed to acquire Modern HC Holdings Inc. (ModernHEALTH), a specialty pharmacy operator, to create a combined specialty pharmacy organization. Terms of the transaction, which is subject to regulatory approval, were not disclosed.

Digital tech is upending status quo in health care

Digital tech is upending status quo in health care

Retail pharmacy is no stranger to technology. For many years pharmacy operators and their supply chain partners have relied on computer-driven systems to ensure efficient distribution of products, assist pharmacists in dispensing and adjudicate insurance claims.

Walgreens adjusts web strategy

Walgreens is shutting down drugstore.com and Beauty.com in an effort to focus on Walgreens.com. The retailer, which acquired the two e-commerce operations in 2011, expects the shutdown to be completed by the end of September.

Coutu faces legal challenge from franchisees

The Jean Coutu Group is the target of a class-action suit filed by a group of its franchisees seeking to recover $252 million in royalties. In a brief statement, the company said that it intends to contest the action. The lawsuit was filed in the superior court of Quebec in Montreal on behalf

Bartell continues to hone stores

Bartell continues to hone stores

Bartell Drugs has remodeled two stores and announced an opening for next year. The chain completed renovations in West Seattle and Snohomish and announced a new outlet for Snoqualmie, east of Lake Washington.

Walmart takes aim at harmful chemicals

In a major follow-up to the sustainable chemistry policy it unveiled in 2013, Walmart has published a list of eight controversial chemicals that it is asking suppliers to eliminate from their products. The targeted substances were limited in number to make quick progress easier.

Former Walmart exec dead at 82

Former Walmart executive Don Soderquist passed away last month due to complications from heart surgery. He was 82. Soderquist was recruited by Walmart founder Sam Walton from Ben Franklin Stores, where Walton had his retailing start.

Another typical year in retailing unfolds

Another typical year in retailing unfolds

and the news concerning the chain drug store community has hardly made a ripple. The Walgreens acquisition of Rite Aid remains a work in progress, though all parties hoped it would have been completed by now. The NACDS Total Store Expo event is unfolding without many

Is it doomsday for retail chains? Not yet

Is it doomsday for retail chains? Not yet

The continuous roller coaster of retail sales results could make even the greatest optimist weep. In recent months, when retailers like Macy’s, Nordstrom, Kohl’s, J.C. Penney and Target reported less than stellar results, it was hard not to take on a Chicken Little view that the sky was falling.

EPA pharmaceutical waste rule examined

EPA pharmaceutical waste rule examined

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently proposed steps to streamline the process surrounding the disposal and handling of hazardous pharmaceutical waste for all health care facilities that dispense pharmaceuticals as set forth by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA).