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Issue 12-17-2012

Walgreens opens 8,000th store

Walgreen Co. has opened two more flagship stores in rapid succession, in a historic bank building in Chicago, and in Hollywood, Calif., at Sunset and Vine. Walgreens president and CEO Greg Wasson at the flagship store opening in Hollywood.

CVS reportedly set to buy Brazilian drug chain

CVS Caremark Corp. may be on the verge of going international. The Woonsocket, R.I.-based pharmacy company is in advanced negotiations to buy a controlling interest in Onofre, a chain drug store operator in Brazil, according to the Valor Economico newspaper.

Fiscal cliff a peril for retailers

The White House and congressional Republicans remained far apart on a plan for avoiding the automatic tax increases and spending cuts known as the “fiscal cliff” earlier this month, even as the consequences of not coming to an agreement came into sharper focus.

Implementation of health care reform on track

As 2012 draws to a close, numerous developments in health care reform continue to occur.   Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius must decide by January 1 which states are capable of running their own health insurance exchanges.

Pharmacists receive high marks on trust

Gallup Inc.’s annual Honesty and Ethics survey reveals that pharmacists rank second only to nurses as the most trusted professionals. Of 1,015 U.S. adults polled, 75% rated pharmacists "very high" or "high" in terms of honesty and ethics. That put pharmacists at No.

Cognetti to take on bigger role at Kinney

Kinney Drugs vice president of marketing Jim Wuest is set to retire at the end of the year, at which time vice president of merchandising Rick Cognetti will be promoted to vice president of marketing and ­merchandising.

Coutu buys 50% stake in Medicus

Jean Coutu Group Inc. has agreed to acquire a 50% share of Le Groupe Medicus Inc., a company that specializes in orthotics and prosthetic devices. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

New headquarters for NACDS

The National Association of Chain Drug Stores has moved its corporate office. The trade association relocated its headquarters on December 3 to 1776 Wilson Blvd., Suite 200, in Arlington, Va. All office and staff telephone and fax numbers have remained the same.

Kerr’s Chater takes position at RxAlly

Rebecca Chater has joined pharmacy alliance RxAlly as vice president of health outcomes. In the new role, Chater will provide leadership and clinical management of RxAlly solutions as well as integrate business development with clinical staff and operations.

Canadian pharmacies grapple with big transition

The recent legislative and policy changes empowering Canadian pharmacists to offer new patient services and interventions represent challenge as well as opportunity for community pharmacy, said Justin Bates, vice president of Pharmacy Affairs for the Canadian Association of Chain Drug Stores (CACDS)

The most innovative retailer in America

If you’re within a thousand miles of Chicago, make the journey to the Windy City and drop in on the new, 30,000-square-foot (25,000-square-foot selling) Walgreens drug store in the city’s Bucktown/Wicker Park neighborhood.