Bartell’s Littleton wins Pratt Award
Bartell Drugs chief operating officer Ed Littleton was the recipient of this year’s Harold W. Pratt Award at the National Association of Chain Drug Stores Pharmacy & Technology Conference here.
News
Sabatino succeeds Green at Walgreens
Walgreen Co. has named Thomas Sabatino Jr. as executive vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary. The 52-year-old Sabatino, who has previously been general counsel for United Airlines Inc., Schering-Plough Corp., Baxter International Inc. and American Medical International Inc.
NACDS, NCPA challenge Express Scripts-Medco deal
Citing a potential anticompetitive impact on patients, consumers, the market “and the entire health care delivery system,” the National Association of Chain Drug Stores and the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) have written to the Federal Trade Commission to formally express their op
Court nixes Affordable Care Act provision
A federal appeals panel has struck down the core component of President Obama’s health care overhaul, shifting the question of whether Americans can be required to buy health insurance a step closer to the Supreme Court.
Lo named to oversee Rx at SDM
Shoppers Drug Mart Corp. (SDM) has appointed Dr. Dorian Lo as executive vice president of pharmacy and health care, and in that position he will lead the company’s pharmacy department and health solutions team. Lo’s career spans health care and pharmacy in both Canada and the United States.
New private label line rolled out by Walgreens
Walgreens has unveiled a new value-oriented store brand chainwide. Called Nice!, the brand includes more than 400 grocery and household products at prices up to 30% below those of national brands. The 7,750-store chain plans to have most Nice! products on shelves by early 2012.
Pact on user fees for generics near
The generic drug industry and the Food and Drug Administration have reached tentative agreement to establish a user fee program in which companies would pay as much as $299 million initially to hasten drug approvals and increase the frequency of FDA inspections of foreign drug plants.
Keelor becomes chief merchant at Katz
Retail veteran Ken Keelor has been named chief merchandising officer at Katz Group. In that role, Keelor will oversee all merchandising and marketing functions for the Rexall family of pharmacies.
The designers who helped Duane Reade create a hit
Before there is a dazzling store, there has to be a magnificent space. Duane Reade had such a space at 40 Wall Street, and it shows in the chain’s bold new drug store there.
Rx groups send Supreme Court brief in Medicaid case
Pharmacy groups have joined a pending case before the U.S. Supreme Court to determine if cuts to the reimbursement rates paid under Medicaid violate federal law.
Industry mourns ECRM’s Bowlus
Charlie Bowlus is being remembered by chain drug and manufacturing executives as much for his disarming warmth and sincerity as for breaking new ground in retailer-supplier relations. Bowlus, founder and chief executive officer of ECRM, died this month of complications from emergency surgery.
Two top retailers weigh in on tax code
As stocks gyrated and the economy sputtered, the leaders of CVS Caremark Corp. and Walmart called for Congress to restructure the corporate tax code.
Drug chains’ flu shot programs have an impact
Through national programs, local public-private initiatives and individual efforts of chain drug stores, retail pharmacists are gaining increased recognition as providers of influenza vaccinations.
Rite Aid taps Henderson to head communications
Public relations and communications veteran Susan Henderson has joined Rite Aid Corp. as senior vice president and chief communications officer. She replaces Karen Rugen, who retired last month.
Express Scripts, Medco to merge
In one fell swoop, the pharmacy benefits market is changing in a big way. The $29.1 billion merger between Express Scripts Inc. and Medco Health Solutions Inc., the No. 2 and No.
Combination of PBMs draws fire from Rx groups
The proposed merger of pharmacy benefit managers Express Scripts and Medco Health Solutions is expected to face close scrutiny from antitrust regulators because the combined company would have leverage over about a third of U.S. prescriptions filled.