New coalition keeps focus on health care costs
Much has been written in this space about the lift the Affordable Care Act will provide for the retail pharmacy business.
Opinion
Retailers, suppliers will benefit by giving data its due
Should companies consider data an asset? Recognizing the value of translating big data into something meaningful that informs product, marketing, customer service, distribution, sales, and operations decisions has been a hot topic this year.
Best regional drug chains capable of competing
The disappearance of Kerr Drug, one of America’s elite regional drug chains, has yet to be felt. But with Walgreens closing its acquisition of the 76-store, Raleigh, N.C.
Flawed ACA launch doesn’t change Rx’s mission
The halting performance of the federal health insurance exchange during its first weeks of operation dealt a harsh blow to everyone with a stake in the success of the Affordable Care Act.
Dramatic changes energize Walgreens
Not often does change disrupt the orderly nature of things in chain drug retailing to the degree that the recent personnel shifts at Walgreens have altered both the personnel roster at that drug chain and the priorities of the many constituencies with which the retailer interacts.
Pharmacy well-positioned to meet challenges in volatile climate
Recent events illustrate the high stakes involved in getting health care right.
Chains need to go beyond multichannel, omnichannel
Many retailers today are immersed in building multichannel capabilities. The multichannel wave has led to many good initiatives, making it easier for customers to interact with retailers across distinct channels, including fast-growing mobile channels. For example, A.T.
Industry won’t be same without Civello
The announcement last month that Walgreens had agreed to acquire Kerr Drug, the 76-store, Raleigh, N.C.-based drug chain, disrupted chain drug retailing as few previous acquisitions had done. It wasn’t the size of the deal that caused such a stir.
Studies dissect pharmacy customer satisfaction
New research that examines customer satisfaction with pharmacy operators contains some revealing insights. The studies, conducted separately by J.D. Power and Market Force Information, identify favorites among consumers and point to broader industrywide trends.
Rite Aid climbs back into the industry elite
It is becoming increasingly difficult not to think of Rite Aid as one of the chain drug industry’s trendsetters.
Tests facing regional Rx chains put in perspective
Kerr Drug’s decision to sell its retail and specialty pharmacy businesses is another milestone on the road to consolidation that community pharmacy has been on for more than two decades.
Pharmacies can build loyalty by embracing wellness
The retail consumer shift toward wellness is well under way. Hamacher Resource Group and several leading trade associations spotted this emerging trend years ago and changed the term “health and beauty care” (HBC) to “health, beauty, and wellness” (HBW) in everything they produced.
Walmart puts focus on American products
and sell — more goods made in America, at the expense of foreign-produced products. Some 1,500 people attended the two-day summit.
Rx steps up as health care paradigm evolves
The drive toward coordinated health care is redefining the relationships between providers and creating opportunities for drug chains and other community pharmacy operators to become more tightly woven into the continuum of care.
NSAID concerns lead pain sufferers to external remedies
America is a nation in pain. Over 100 million Americans suffer from chronic pain, and the annual cost of health care for pain (including disability days and lost wages and productivity) is estimated at between $560 billion and $635 billion.
Primary object of mergers is change
Loblaw Cos.’ pending acquisition of Canada’s Shoppers Drug Mart drug chain is but the latest example of a global chain drug store business that continues to pursue realignment, if not consolidation. At first glance, the Loblaws-Shoppers tie-up makes little sense.