Walgreens tabs Rick Gates as senior VP
Rick Gates has been named senior vice president of pharmacy and health care for Walgreens. Gates most recently served as group vice president of pharmacy.
Issues
Bartells Drugs names Kathi Lentzsch as CEO
Bartell Drugs, the country’s largest and oldest family-owned pharmacy, announced two significant hires to its executive ranks last month, including Kathi Lentzsch as the company’s chief executive officer, who becomes only the fifth CEO in the company’s 128-year history.
Rite Aid starts to revamp merchandising team
Rite Aid Corp. is making changes to its category management team as it proceeds with an asset sale in which more than 40% of its drug stores will be transferred to Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA).
NACDS weighs in on burdens associated with DIR fees
The “untenable” procedures around direct and indirect remuneration fees (DIR fees) can be righted with measures reducing costs for beneficiaries and the government, while promoting a more quality-driven health care system, says the National Association of Chain Drug Stores.
Trump makes cutting high drug prices a priority
In his first State of the Union speech, President Donald Trump renewed his pledge to reduce prescription drug prices, days after a former big pharma executive was sworn in as Secretary of Health and Human Services.
New brand identity is adopted by Genoa
Genoa, a QoL Healthcare Company, announced an organizational rebranding as well as a name change to Genoa Healthcare.
NACDS Annual Meeting takes shape
The National Association of Chain Drug Stores has slated two top speakers for its Sunday Business Program at the 2018 NACDS Annual Meeting, which will be held April 21 to April 24 in Palm Beach, Fla. — Pulitzer-prize winning columnist Peggy Noonan and author and management educator Jim Collins.
Sam’s Club names health care exec
Sam’s Club has tapped Sean Jackson to succeed Jill Turner-Mitchael as senior vice president for consumables and health and wellness. Jackson, who joined Sam’s Club in 2009 from Linens ’n Things, most recently served as vice president for home. He began his career at May Department Stores.
Work requirements may come to Medicaid
The Trump administration has issued guidance that opens the door to work requirements for Medicaid recipients, a major change in the 50-year-old program offering a safety net for Americans living in or near poverty.
Morris is taking on a bigger role at Albertsons
Albertsons Cos. president and chief operating officer Wayne Denningham plans to retire near the end of the company’s fiscal year. Denningham was with the company more than 40 years, having started working as a clerk as a teenager.
Walgreens Connected Care Oncology gets tech patent
Walgreens has received a U.S. patent for new proprietary technology that its Walgreens community specialty pharmacists and AllianceRx Walgreens Prime’s specialty pharmacists will use to facilitate communication with and counseling of individuals prescribed oral oncology medicines.
Communications team strengthened at WBA
Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) has named Gulden Mesara-Dogan vice president of communications USA. In her new role at WBA, Mesara-Dogan will oversee a number of communications areas serving the enterprise and U.S. businesses and operations.
Publix pharmacies introduce Next Best Thing to Free
Publix Super Markets Inc. is offering a new prescription drug program called Next Best Thing to Free, by which it will sell 29 common generic medications for $7.50 for a three-month supply.
Former CVS exec Cheryl Mahoney passes
Longtime CVS merchandising and beauty executive Cheryl Mahoney recently passed away after a long illness. Mahoney was with the company for more than 40 years, most recently serving as vice president of retail merchandising and promotion and business development at CVS Health.
Beauty innovation only the start at CVS
The announcement by CVS Pharmacy president Helena Foulkes at last month’s National Retail Federation Big Show that the retailer will adopt standards that bring a new level of transparency to the images used to promote its beauty business caused a stir in the category and triggered a long overdue dis
