CVS Caremark Corp. is at 7,000 and growing. The company, which has quintupled its store count in just over 12 years, still sees significant opportunity for expansion, CVS/pharmacy president Larry Merlo said at the opening of the chain’s 7,000th store here last month in this St. Paul suburb.
Walgreen Co. made good on its long-standing promise to open its 7,000th store by 2010, unveiling the milestone unit in a ceremony here earlier this month.
The expected approval of the Senate Finance Committee’s health care bill may have brought reform closer to the end of the beginning than the beginning of the end.
Groups representing community pharmacy have sued four states, saying that they are failing to provide Medicaid patients with access to the same care as everyone else.
Though community pharmacy groups praised Congress’ decision last week to delay the accreditation deadline for pharmacies providing durable medical equipment (DME) under Medicare, they continue to seek an exemption for drug retailers.
Chain drug retailers may well escape the worst of what is expected to be a poor holiday sales season. Drug chains have been outperforming other trade classes, and demand for flu shots is expected to help sustain their momentum, notwithstanding generally gloomy forecasts for retailers overall.
Looking to solidify itself as New Yorkers’ drug chain of choice, Duane Reade Inc. has kicked off the second phase of a massive advertising campaign and launched an exclusive brand of food and beverages.
Drug store industry veteran George Riedl will leave Walgreen Co. at the end of the year. He currently serves as senior vice president of pharmacy innovation and purchasing for the retailer.
Robert Thompson has been promoted to executive vice president of pharmacy at Rite Aid Corp. Thompson, 56, had been the retailer’s senior vice president of pharmacy operations.
Duncan Mac Naughton has been named chief marketing officer at Wal-Mart Canada. The 47-year-old retail veteran had been executive vice president of merchandising and marketing at Supervalu Inc.
CVS Caremark and Walgreens both opened their 7,000th drug store earlier this fall, within a week of each other. CVS’ milestone store opened in a suburb of St. Paul, while Walgreens’ landmark unveiling took place in the Coney Island section of Brooklyn, N.Y.
The commoditization of community pharmacy has come in for a good deal of criticism in recent years.
