Chain Drug Review articles from December 2003

Chain Drug Review archives from December 2003

Medicare bill's passage doesn't end controversy.
December 15, 2003... WASHINGTON -- Now comes the debate after the debate. President Bush's enactment into law of a prescription drug benefit did not end contentiousness over the program's details, starting with discount drug cards next year. The cards are...

Benefit still 'a work in progress'.(Medicare prescription benefit)
December 15, 2003... NEW YORK -- While admitting that the Medicare prescription benefit signed this month by President Bush does not give community pharmacy everything it hoped for, National Association of Chain Drug Stores officials say they are relatively pleased...

Walgreens will reject mandatory mail plans.
December 15, 2003... DEERFIELD, Ill. -- Walgreen Co. has become the first community pharmacy chain to refuse to join prescription benefits programs that require their members to fill maintenance medications via mail order. While Walgreens says it will not join...

CVS' Poughkeepsie store embodies bold new ideas.
December 15, 2003... POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. -- CVS Corp. has unveiled a new-concept store here, a radical departure from anything CVS--or, indeed, any United States drug chain--has yet attempted. The new store, actually a remodel of an established CVS, heavily accents...

Medicine Shoppe to acquire Medicap.
December 15, 2003... ST. LOUIS -- Medicine Shoppe International (MSI) reached a deal earlier this month to acquire 179-store Medicap Pharmacies Inc. Medicap's outlets will retain their name and operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of MSI. Terms of the...

Degn, Watts given bigger roles at Wal-Mart.(Doug Degn, Claire Watts)
December 15, 2003... BENTONVILLE, Ark. -- Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has announced the retirement of Don Harris as executive vice president of general merchandise for the Wal-Mart Stores division. The 46-year-old Harris, who is retiring after a 23-year career with...

Houston a chain drug hotbed.
December 15, 2003... Top executives from the nation's chain pharmacies frequently visit stores in markets of interest to see firsthand what direct or indirect competitors may be doing that is new or different. A statistical metropolitan service area (SMSA) that...

Katz, Edmonton Oilers sign promotional deal.
December 15, 2003... EDMONTON, Alberta -- Katz Group Inc. has inked a 10-year sponsorship and marketing agreement with the Edmonton Oilers Hockey Club under which the retailer will own the naming rights to the team's home arena and serve as its exclusive health...

Three retailers beef up digital photo capabilities.(CVS Corp., Walgreen Co., Bartell Drug Co.)(Brief Article)
December 15, 2003... NEW YORK -- A number of chain drug retailers have announced a flurry of innovative digital photo services. For example, CVS Corp. is poised to introduce mobile image printing capabilities at Kodak Picture Maker kiosks at its stores...

Bidders line up for shot at Eckerd.(Brief Article)
December 15, 2003... NEW YORK -- Buyout firm Kohlberg, Kravis Roberts & Co. (KKR) is reportedly backing CVS Corp. in a possible multibillion-dollar bid for Eckerd Corp. Eckerd's 2,700 drug stores, which have also attracted interest from the Jean Coutu Group...

Walgreens to refuse Medi-Cal scripts if cuts take effect.
December 15, 2003... DEERFIELD, Ill. -- Walgreen Co. says it will stop filling prescriptions for Medicare recipients in California if the state goes ahead with its planned 5% cut in the program's reimbursement rate next month. "These are difficult decisions,"...

Another exclusive line bows at CVS.(XCD skin care products for men)(Brief Article)
December 15, 2003... NEW YORK -- A new line of premium skin care products for men is being offered on an exclusive basis in the United States by CVS Corp. for a two-year period. Called XCD, the line was developed by King of Shaves, the No. 2 shave brand in the...

NACDS raises $1.7 million for charity.(National Association of Chain Drug Stores)(Brief Article)
December 15, 2003... NEW YORK -- The National Association of Chain Drug Stores' fifth annual NACDS Charitable Foundation dinner earlier this month raised more than $1.7 million for numerous charitable, educational and research programs. Held at the New York...

W.F. Young targets back pain.(Supplier News)(Absorbine Jr. Back Patch launched)(Brief Article)
December 15, 2003... EAST LONGMEADOW, Mass. -- W.F. Young Inc. has launched the Absorbine Jr. Back Patch, developed to target chronic back pain with deep, penetrating heat. The blend of menthol, camphor and eucalyptus oil goes straight to the point of pain to...

Markwins rejuvenates Wet 'n' Wild.(Supplier News)(Markwins International Corp.)
December 15, 2003... CITY OF INDUSTRY, Calif. -- In the past 10 years Markwins International Corp. has gone from $30 million in sales to about $300 million, and the company plans to accelerate that growth in 2004. After acquiring Wet 'n' Wild and other popular...

New Dana fragrances being sold.(Supplier News)(Brief Article)
December 15, 2003... COCONUT CREEK, Fla. -- New Dana Perfumes Corp. (NDP) chief operating officer Anthony Wesley has signed a letter of intent, committing the the company to sell its fragrance brands to Dana Classic Fragrances Inc., which is principally owned by...

Woodridge unveils lice removal kit.(Supplier News)(Brief Article)
December 15, 2003... VAN NUYS, Calif. -- Woodridge Labs Inc., a manufacturer of a broad line of over-the-counter health and beauty aids, has launched an educational program to introduce its SafeTek Lice Removal Kit, which is designed to eliminate lice and their...

Correction.(Supplier News)(Correction Notice)
December 15, 2003... A story on SinoFresh Nasal & Sinus Care that appeared in the November 10 issue of Chain Drug Review misstated the budget for the product's national marketing campaign. According to a spokeswoman for SinoFresh HealthCare Inc., the product's...

Lavoris brand gets new owner.(Supplier News)(CFCP Lavoris L.L.C. acquires Lavoris from Schwarzkopf and Dep)(Brief Article)
December 15, 2003... LOS ANGELES -- CFCP Lavoris LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Charles Flora Consumer Products LLC, has announced the acquisition of Lavoris mouthwash from Schwarzkopf & Dep, a division of Henkel Corp. Lavoris has been in the marketplace for...

Revlon readies cosmetics for spring.(Supplier News)('Pink Happiness' line)
December 15, 2003... NEW YORK -- Revlon Inc. is poised to launch "Pink Happiness," its color cosmetics collection for spring 2004. The line features a range of soft pinks accented with celadon green, aquamarine blue and oyster silver. "The face is covered...

Natrol emphasizes consumer education.(Supplier News)(Brief Article)
December 15, 2003... CHATSWORTH, Calif. -- Natrol Inc. has enhanced its strategic communications program, in a bid to build consumer knowledge about nutritional products and how they contribute to good health. The company will increase its role as an...

Income at McKesson increases 22%.(Business)
December 15, 2003... SAN FRANCISCO -- McKesson Corp. posted a 21.9% rise in income from continuing operations in the second quarter of fiscal 2004 as revenues climbed 22.8%. Net income from ongoing lines totaled $156.5 million, up from $128.4 million a year...

Longs earnings rise 75% in third quarter.(Business)
December 15, 2003... WALNUT CREEK, Calif. -- Aided by the southern California supermarket strike and cost-cutting measures, as well as easy comparisons against a weak prior-year performance, net income soared nearly 75% at Longs Drug Stores during the third quarter...

Chain drug stocks reach highest level since March '02.(Business)
December 15, 2003... NEW YORK -- Chain drug store stocks zoomed upward in November as optimism spread that the industry will be positively affected by the Medicare reform bill recently passed by Congress. There is consensus that Medicare prescription drug...

What kind of year has it been for drug chains?(My Turn)(year in review)(Column)
December 15, 2003... As 2003 winds down, all too quickly, the inevitable question pops up: What kind of year has it been? It's been a year like any other, one of change, both predictable and unimagined. Here's a recap: This year has seen the growing strength of...

Pharmacies need to keep pace with biotech.
December 15, 2003... Biotechnology products have begun to revolutionize health care, and community pharmacy operators should be prepared to quickly adapt their business models if they want to remain front-line providers of therapies that help address a host of...

'Quality management at every level'.(Walgreens)
December 15, 2003... DEERFIELD, Ill. -- Walgreen Co. chairman and chief executive officer Dave Bernauer doesn't mince words when assessing the reasons for the company's continued dominance in the chain drug industry. "We have a motivated, very seasoned team,"...

There has never been a better time to grow.(Walgreens)
December 15, 2003... DEERFIELD, Ill. -- It took Walgreen Co. 83 years to open its 1,000th drug store. The 2,000th debuted just a decade later, in 1994. In only another half dozen years the chain had 3,000 outlets, and barely four years after that Walgreens had...

Battle is won in the stores.(Walgreens)
December 15, 2003... DEERFIELD, Ill. -- The hearts and minds of consumers are won in stores one by one. In many respects the critical field commanders in that battle are store managers. Nowhere is that truer than at Walgreen Co. While the drug chain's store...

The new customer service initiative.(Walgreens)
December 15, 2003... DEERFIELD, Ill. -- Walgreen Co. may be performing at the highest level, but Jeff Rein, who became president and chief operating officer of the retailer last January, is not taking anything for granted. In his view, Walgreens' position as...

Pharmacists are link to patients.(Walgreens)
December 15, 2003... DEERFIELD, Ill. -- Nowhere is the interaction between Walgreens employees and consumers more critical than in the pharmacy department. With prescription drugs playing an increasingly important role in health care and the demand for such...

A vibrant market in midst of expansion.(Austin)
December 15, 2003... AUSTIN, Texas -- This city on the banks of the Colorado River is one of the most dynamic markets in the United States. While Austin is the state capital and home to the University of Texas, it is also a major center for high- technology...

Monica Rich, manager, 9307 N. Lamar Blvd.(Walgreens)
December 15, 2003... AUSTIN, Texas -- The sheer variety of the work was one of the things that attracted Monica Rich to a career in retailing. "I didn't want a desk job where I would be sitting there doing the same thing every day," she says. "In retailing...

Alma Alvarado, manager, Research Blvd.(Walgreens)
December 15, 2003... AUSTIN, Texas--After a stint in the military, Alma Alvarado put herself through college and studied accounting. She got a job in that field after she graduated, and quickly found she liked it less than the retail jobs she held while in school....

A store with special requirements.(Walgreens)
December 15, 2003... AUSTIN, Texas--The Walgreens store Alma Alvarado manages has a unique customer base. Located in the northwestern outskirts of the city, the outlet is perched on a busy intersection, next to a car lot and across the street from a group of...

Store managers have pharmacy know-how.(Walgreens)(Brief Article)
December 15, 2003... AUSTIN, Texas--Recognizing that pharmacy is the critical component of the chain drug store business, Walgreens has asked its store managers to become certified as pharmacy technicians. "The Austin market was actually one of the first to...

The Windy City is a perfect home base.(Chicago)
December 15, 2003... CHICAGO -- Founded here 103 years years ago, Walgreen Co. could hardly have picked a better market in which to be based. Chicago is the third-largest metropolitan area in the United States with 8.5 million people, ranking behind only Los...

Peggy Leonard, mgr., Grand Ave., Gurnee.(Walgreens)
December 15, 2003... GURNEE, Ill. -- Making a drug store operate efficiently is a balancing act, and the 10,000-square-foot, six-year-old Walgreens store at the corner of Grand Avenue and Almond Road in this northern Chicago suburb in Lake County is no exception....

'It was fun to be part of a Chicago tradition'.(Walgreens)
December 15, 2003... GURNEE, Ill. -- Walgreens' famous lunch counters, once one of the chain's signature touches in Chicago, are long gone. But in the late 1960s they were still thriving, and that's where Peggy Leonard, then in high school, got her first job...

Tom Gilliland, mgr., Libertyville.(Walgreens)
December 15, 2003... LIBERTYVILLE, Ill. -- If there is a theme that runs through the Walgreens store in this northern Chicago suburb, it is experience, and it starts with the store's manager, Tom Gilliland. The 52-year-old Gilliland has spent his entire...

'It's in you; you like it or you don't'.(Walgreens)(Brief Article)
December 15, 2003... LIBERTYVILLE, Ill. -- According to Tom Gilliland, store manager for Walgreens' Libertyville store, retailers are born, not made. "Retail is in you," he says. "You either like it or you don't." Having been in the business nearly three...

Custom tailoring every location.(Walgreens)
December 15, 2003... LIBERTYVILLE, Ill. -- Walgreens' stores in Libertyville and Gurnee, Ill., are both in suburban Lake County, north of Chicago, and they share, among many other things, a similar layout, automatic reordering system and pricing structure. ...

'We want someone who can do a quality job'.(Walgreens)
December 15, 2003... GURNEE, Ill.--For Peggy Leonard, manager of a Walgreens' store here, it is all about people--associates and customers. Asked what she considers her primary job responsibility to be, Leonard immediately answers, "motivating people in a...

A market with room for Walgreens to grow.(Columbus)
December 15, 2003... COLUMBUS, Ohio--Since entering this market in the late 1990s Walgreen Co. has made its presence felt. After slowly building its store count in greater Columbus up to 15 the drug chain is now opening seven or eight a year here on its way to...

Ian Liu, manager, Columbus Ave., Columbus.(Walgreens)
December 15, 2003... COLUMBUS, Ohio--Ian Liu's chain drug retailing career started inauspiciously. His car was stolen when he stopped for gas on the way to his first day on the job as a pharmacist. It's been all uphill since. Today the irrepressible Liu...

Someone opened up 'the big picture' for him.(Wallgreens)
December 15, 2003... COLUMBUS, Ohio--As much as Ian Liu has advanced himself at Walgreens by dint of his own desire and ambition, he says he would hardly have gotten anywhere without the sage advice and backing of his superiors. There is Bob Kral, for example,...

Walgreens figures big in Norfolk renaissance.(Norfolk)
December 15, 2003... NORFOLK, Va. -- This city encompasses over 100 diverse neighborhoods. It is the business and cultural center of the Hampton Roads area, hosts the region's international airport and is one of the busiest global ports on the East Coast of the...

Extra effort promotes community health.(Walgreens)
December 15, 2003... NORFOLK, Va. -- Shoppers at Walgreens stores here can pick up the retailer's informative Diabetes & You seasonal periodical right at the pharmacy counter. Each issue is chock full of useful information for those with diabetes, featuring...

Keith Jacobsen, mgr., Norfolk.(Walgreens)
December 15, 2003... NORFOLK, Va. -- When Charles R. Walgreen Sr. founded the company that bears his family's name in 1901 he insisted that customers be treated "like a guest in your home." Over a century later store manager Keith Jacobsen has not only taken...

Negative becomes positive.(Walgreens)(Brief Article)
December 15, 2003... NORFOLK, Va. -- When store manager Keith Jacobsen opened a Walgreens outlet here in 2001 a week ahead of schedule he was proud of the fact--until one of his new customers quickly read him the riot act. "Our initial ad had come out, and one...

Michele Jackson, manager, N. Military Hwy., Norfolk.(Walgreens)
December 15, 2003... NORFOLK, Va. -- When the Walgreens outlet at 1169 Military Highway here opened only a few months ago store manager Michele Jackson didn't waste any time getting things up and running and making shoppers feel welcome. "People are just...

Fertile ground for expansion.(San Antonio)
December 15, 2003... SAN ANTONIO -- Once known primarily for its colorful history and importance as a military complex, San Antonio has developed into one of the major metropolitan centers in the United States. The steady growth it has experienced over the past...

The battle is Walgreens vs. Wal-Mart, H.E.B.(Walgreens)
December 15, 2003... SAN ANTONIO -- The city of the Alamo is a vibrant market that features some of the most formidable chains in mass market retailing. Its solid growth prospects ensure that it will see intensifying competition in the years ahead. Walgreens...

Erv Gonzales, mgr., San Antonio.(Walgreens)
December 15, 2003... SAN ANTONIO -- Store manager Erv Gonzales did his homework before coming to Walgreens. After graduating from the University of Texas at San Antonio Gonzales took a retail management position with another company, which soon began...

It's 'his' store from the start.(Walgreens)(Brief Article)
December 15, 2003... SAN ANTONIO -- It is not surprising that Err Gonzales truly thinks of the Walgreens outlet he manages as "his store." He was there when the outlet opened five years ago and has managed it ever since. "That was a fun project," says...

Miguel Ordonez, store manager, San Antonio.(Walgreens)
December 15, 2003... SAN ANTONIO -- Working at Walgreens is a family affair for Miguel Ordonez. He joined the drug chain nearly six years ago at the suggestion of his wife, who worked for the company then and still does today. At one point Ordonez' daughter...

He practices what he preaches.(Walgreens)
December 15, 2003... SAN ANTONIO -- Miguel Ordonez believes that the best way to run a store is to make sure all of his employees know how important they are to the business. "My style of management is to let everyone know that I couldn't run the store by...

Walgreens at the top of its game.(Tulsa)
December 15, 2003... TULSA, Okla. -- Located in what is almost the geographical center of the continental United States, the Tulsa market embodies everything that American retailing has become over the past 50 years. Supercenters, discount stores and drug...

Kristen Reber, manager, E. 31st St., Tulsa.(Walgreens)
December 15, 2003... TULSA, Okla. -- As a girl growing up in rural Missouri right through her college years, Kristen Reber wanted to be a teacher. As a history major at Missouri Southern State University in Joplin, Mo., she even earned a certificate to teach...

What drug chains can do best.(Walgreens)
December 15, 2003... TULSA, Okla. -- Situated only about 90 miles west of Bentonville, Ark., this city of 393,000 people in northwestern Oklahoma is the closest urban area to Wal-Mart Stores Inc.'s headquarters. That proximity made Tulsa and its surrounding...

Jason Haynes, mgr., N. Peoria Ave., Tulsa.(Walgreens)
December 15, 2003... TULSA, Okla. -- When he was a freshman at the University of Tulsa, Jason Haynes' friend told him about a part-time job opening on the night shift at a nearby Walgreens store. Having previously talked to a Walgreens recruiter who had visited...

Taking a chance on a neighborhood.(Walgreens)(Tulsa, Oklahoma)
December 15, 2003... TULSA, Okla. -- In a corner of this city where once-thriving businesses have been boarded up for years and many of those that remain are hanging on by a thread, Walgreens opened a shining new 15,000-square-foot pharmacy a few years ago. ...

A Walgreens store manager who doubles as a teacher.(Walgreens)(Jason Haynes)(Brief Article)
December 15, 2003... TULSA, Okla. -- Walgreens store manager Jason Haynes always wanted to be a teacher. He holds a degree in elementary education from the University of Tulsa and has the caring nature and patience to pass along his knowledge to others. ...

'On Christmas Eve, this is the busiest store in town'.(Walgreens)(Tulsa, Oklahoma)
December 15, 2003... TULSA, Okla. -- The Walgreens store at 11332 E. 31st St. on the east side of Oklahoma's second-largest city was one of the first outlets the company opened here. Unveiled in 1993, the unit was part of a mass opening in Tulsa that saw...

'Every day's something totally new'.(Walgreens)(Kristen Reber)(Brief Article)
December 15, 2003... TULSA, Okla. -- Although Kristen Reber's original goal of becoming a teacher took a detour when she joined Walgreens' management training program, she has still been able to find a way to pass along her knowledge to others. "We're a...

Individual effort, teamwork go a long way.(Walgreens)(Ian Liu)(Brief Article)
December 15, 2003... COLUMBUS -- Ian Liu relishes challenge. It was the challenge of learning to be a good merchandiser as a pharmacist that first brought him into store management. Later he sought out the challenge of managing new stores and then of...

Schein is expanding.(Rx: retail pharmacy)(Henry Schein Inc. acquires Damer & Cartwright Pharmaceuticals Inc., American Medical Services Inc.)(Brief Article)
December 15, 2003... Henry Schein Inc. is expanding its lineup of specialty pharmaceuticals through the acquisitions of Damer & Cartwright Pharmaceuticals Inc. and American Medical Services Inc., two affiliated Chicago distribution companies. Damer & Cartwright and...

Merck expects profit increase in 2004 after 2003 slowdown.(News)(Brief Article)
December 15, 2003... Merck & Co. sees its profits rising next year in the aftermath of a decline in 2003. The company anticipates an escalation in earnings of as much as 9% next year. Merck has been struggling with a lack of new drugs to offset slowing sales of...

Cephalon purchase.(News)(Cima Laboratories Inc.)(Brief Article)
December 15, 2003... Cephalon Inc. is acquiring Cima Laboratories Inc. for $515 million in cash. The deal is expected to close in the first quarter of 2004.

Eckerd pharmacists.(News)(Brief Article)
December 15, 2003... The role retail pharmacists can play in helping patients avoid costly health problems is being studied in a pilot program involving a group of Eckerd Corp. pharmacists. Conducted under the auspices of the Florida Agency for Health Care...

Omnicare acquisition.(News)(acquires Arlington Clinical Pharmacy Inc.)(Brief Article)
December 15, 2003... Omnicare Inc. is acquiring Arlington Clinical Pharmacy Inc., expanding Omnicare's role in specialty pharmacy. Arlington is a regional specialty pharmacy based in Reno, Nev., with revenues of over $21 million.

Pharmacists praised.(News)(Brief Article)
December 15, 2003... Pharmacists rated fourth in a poll on the public view of the most honest and ethical profession. Nurses ranked No. 1 in the Gallup Organization survey.

Top health story.(News)(Brief Article)
December 15, 2003... Obesity was the No. 1 health concern of 2003, according to Harvard Medical School. Its Harvard Health Letter lists other major issues as the containment of the SARS threat and studies showing angioplasty as the best treatment for heart attacks....

Mossman is appointed president for Cambrex.(Newsmakers)(Brief Article)
December 15, 2003... Gary Mossman has been appointed president and chief executive officer of Cambrex Pharma and Biopharmaceutical Business Unit. He is responsible for accelerating sales and profit growth of the company's products and services for small-molecule...

David Martin.(Newsmakers)(Brief Article)
December 15, 2003... David Martin has been named chief executive officer of GangaGen Inc., a privately held biotech company based in San Francisco. Martin has a solid background in leadership roles in the life sciences industry.

Pamela Miller.(Newsmakers)(Brief Article)
December 15, 2003... Pamela Miller has been named vice president of market development for the government sector of Medco Health Solutions. She will also develop new product strategies, support sales and market development efforts and develop cost-management...

Daniel Hussar.(Newsmakers)(Brief Article)
December 15, 2003... Daniel Hussar will receive the Hugo H. Schaefer award from the American Pharmacists Association at the group's annual meeting. The organization will hold the session March 26 through March 30 in Seattle.

Jeffrey Campbell.(Newsmakers)(Brief Article)
December 15, 2003... McKesson Corp. has named Jeffrey Campbell as chief financial officer. He will also become senior vice president early next year.

Large donation.(Rx: retail pharmacy)(Brief Article)
December 15, 2003... Milan Puskar, founder of generic drug maker Mylan Laboratories Inc., has made a $20 million donation to a fund-raising campaign at West Virginia University. "This is the single largest gift ever made to the WVU foundation for the bebefit of...

Daniel Buffington.(Newsmakers)(to represent pharmacy on the health care professionals advisory committee of the American Medical Association)(Brief Article)
December 15, 2003... Daniel Buffington will represent pharmacy on the health care professionals advisory committee of the American Medical Association. He is a member of the X12 Pharmacy Advisory Panel, a group whose members include the National Association of...

Hassan on Schering's future.(Rx: retail pharmacy)(Schering-Plough Corp. chief executive officer Fred Hassan)
December 15, 2003... NEW YORK -- Schering-Plough Corp. chief executive officer Fred Hassan predicts that licensing arrangements with other pharmaceutical firms will help the company achieve a much-needed turnaround. Although Hassan is optimistic, he opted not...

J&J moves to streamline pharmaceutical operations.(Rx: retail pharmacy)(Johnson & Johnson)(Brief Article)
December 15, 2003... SKILLMAN, N.J. -- Key operations will be combined--and jobs will subsequently be cut--in a reorganization plan announced by Johnson & Johnson (J&J). The health care company declines to provide specific figures on the number of employees...

Eckerd PBM ranks first in customer satisfaction survey.(Rx: retail pharmacy)(Eckerd Health Services scored highest in nearly every category of customer satisfaction survey by the Pharmacy Benefit Management Institute)(Brief Article)
December 15, 2003... PITTSBURGH -- Eckerd Health Services (EHS) scored the highest in nearly every category of a customer satisfaction survey carried out by the Pharmacy Benefit Management Institute (PBMI). "These results are the best ever for EHS," says Fran...

Digestives eyed.(News)(heartburn drug esomeprazole )(Brief Article)
December 15, 2003... NEW YORK -- In separate studies researchers recently found that stomach medications can provide an added benefit and an unforeseen side effect. According to a study done at the University of Michigan, people who take the prescription...