ShopRite serves up free vitamins
Food and drug retailer ShopRite has begun offering free prenatal vitamins at its pharmacy locations. The retailer-owned supermarket cooperative, part of Wakefern Food Corp.
Retail News
Ontario pharmacists eye wider scope of practice
With pharmacists in Canada slated to expand their scope of practice under health reform, the Ontario Pharmacists’ Association (OPA) aims to have immunization and injection in all pharmacies in the province by the end of 2013.
MinuteClinic partners with central Florida health group
MinuteClinic has entered a clinical collaboration with Florida Hospital Medical Group to provide expanded access to health care services in central Florida.
Shoppers Drug Mart creates web portal for physicians
Shoppers Drug Mart Corp. has launched the Shoppers Health Care Portal, a website that gives Canadian health care professionals access to drug reimbursement information and clinical tools.
CVS joins Outcomes MTM network
CVS/pharmacy has agreed to become part of the Outcomes Inc. national medication therapy management (MTM) network. Outcomes said Wednesday that under the arrangement, CVS/pharmacy’s approximately 7,300 drug store locations will be added to Outcomes’ network of MTM Centers.
NABP applies for .pharmacy web domain
The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) has applied to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) to own and operate the new .pharmacy generic top-level domain (gTLD).
Analysis: Merlo unlocks CVS Caremark’s potential
Larry Merlo’s initial year as chief executive officer of CVS Caremark Corp. has been a remarkable one, indeed. Not that you’d notice if you confined your examination, analysis and interpretation to the CVS drug store chain.
NACDS hires federal government affairs VP
Thomas O’Donnell is slated to join the National Association of Chain Drug Stores as vice president of federal government affairs. NACDS said Thursday that O’Donnell will start in the post on July 9 and will report to Carol Kelly, senior vice president of government affairs and public policy.
Walmart tests talking prescription system
Walmart is piloting a talking prescription system that gives vision-impaired people who can’t read standard print an easy way to access the information on their medications.
Rite Aid sees comp-store sales uptick in May
Comparable-store sales at Rite Aid Corp. edged up in May but grew more slowly than in recent months. Rite Aid said Thursday that for the five weeks ended June 2, same-store sales increased 1.1% year over year, marking the drug chain’s smallest monthly gain so far this calendar year. Comp-store sales
APhA website goes back online after breach
The website of the American Pharmacists Association (APhA), pharmacist.com, is back up after being shut down for the better part of a week because of an online attack. APhA said Wednesday that pharmacist.
Rite Aid kicks off healthy skin campaign
Rite Aid Corp. has begun its annual healthy skin campaign in conjunction with The Skin Cancer Foundation. Running through July 31, the effort includes free informational skin care guides in Rite Aid drug stores and online at RiteAid.
Chief medical officer named for Take Care Clinics
Walgreen Co. has appointed Alan London, M.D., as chief medical officer of Take Care Health Systems Consumer Solutions Group. Walgreens said Wednesday that London will lead Take Care Health’s efforts to build and maintain external doctor and health system relationships for Take Care Clinics.
PTCB reorganizes pharmacy tech certification exam
The Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) has updated the blueprint for the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE), reorganizing the test’s content into nine knowledge areas. PTCB said Wednesday that changes to the exam stemmed from a job analysis completed in February.
Navarro launches liquor outlet, Spanish-language website
Navarro Discount Pharmacy has opened a liquor store operation adjacent to one of its drug stores in the Miami Beach area. The new liquor outlet is situated near a Navarro drug store in Sunny Isles, Fla.
Walgreens’ same-store sales fall as Rx results suffer
Same-store sales for Walgreen Co. were down in May, though less than in the previous month, as the company’s contract dispute with pharmacy benefit manager Express Scripts Inc. continued to impact its prescription business by double-digits.