Drug Store News articles from August 2007

Drug Store News archives from August 2007

Medicaid relief gathers steam.(NEWS & ANALYSIS)
August 13, 2007... WASHINGTON -- Amid a rising chorus of pharmacy leaders protesting budget cuts and new federal reimbursement rules for prescriptions dispensed under Medicaid, a key leader in the U.S. Senate introduced legislation early this month to reverse...

Customer satisfaction levels decline.(NEWS & ANALYSIS)(Report)
August 13, 2007... PHILADELPHIA -- For the first time in years, pharmacy customers registered a decline in overall satisfaction with their community pharmacies in 2006, a major new report affirms. The just-released 2007 Pharmacy Satisfaction Digest clearly...

Post-Katrina lessons inspire reforms.(NEWS & ANALYSIS)
August 13, 2007... NEW ORLEANS -- Two years following the heroic effort that was coordinated by members of retail pharmacy, wholesalers, pharmaceutical distributors and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to re-establish a pharmaceutical distribution...

RediClinic turns to cable for marketing needs.(NEWS & ANALYSIS)(RediClinic LLC)
August 13, 2007... HOUSTON -- Great healthcare. Great experience. That's the tagline for a new line of television commercials being tested by RediClinic in several markets with three 30second spots--two targeting consumers and one targeting employers--that...

New CVS/Caremark gets record results.(INDUSTRY WATCH)(CVS Corp.)(Caremark Rx Inc.)
August 13, 2007... WOONSOCKET, R.I. -- In typical CVS fashion, the pharmacy retailer posted record revenues and earnings for the second quarter--a quarter that was undoubtedly on the radar screen of industry observers since it marked the first full quarter with...

Energizer buying Playtex.(INDUSTRY WATCH)(Brief article)
August 13, 2007... NEW YORK -- In a surprising move, Energizer is buying Playtex for $1.16 billion in a deal that will broaden the merchandise slate of a company best known for batteries. The deal, announced July 15, was approved by the boards of both...

Massachusetts drafts retail clinic regulations.(NEWS & ANALYSIS)
August 13, 2007... BOSTON -- State health officials in Massachusetts are proposing new retail health clinic regulations that they say, "may promote convenience and greater access to basic care." The move, announced in July, is in response to CVS' recent...

Cardinal Health bolsters clinic program.(NEWS & ANALYSIS)(MindGent Healthcare Clinic)
August 13, 2007... INDIANAPOLIS -- Many industry observers may not be familiar with Corner Care Clinic, but that is likely to change as Cardinal Health has formed an alliance with, and is a minority investor in, the clinic operator. Cardinal Health teamed up...

MinuteClinic passes milestone, opens 200th clinic location.(NEWS & ANALYSIS)(Brief article)
August 13, 2007... MINNEAPOLIS -- MinuteClinic, a subsidiary of CVS, has hit the 200-clinic milestone with the recent opening of the new Hartford, Conn., MinuteClinic location. By the end of 2007, MinuteClinic expects to have more than 400 locations and,...

Walgreens promotes pharmacy, gov't execs.(NEWS & ANALYSIS)(appointment of Donald Huonker and Debra Garza )
August 13, 2007... DEERFIELD, Ill. -- Walgreen Co. has named Donald Huonker senior vice president of pharmacy services, and Debra Garza divisional vice president of government and community relations. "Don's challenges are considerable as we strive to...

Walgreens, Option Care deal advances at fast pace.(NEWS & ANALYSIS)(Brief article)
August 13, 2007... DEERFIELD, Ill. -- Walgreen Co. and Option Care revealed on July 20 that the U.S. Federal Trade Commission and the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice granted early termination of the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino...

Altoona's hometown drug store bets bigger is better.(NEWS & ANALYSIS)
August 13, 2007... ALTOONA, Pa. -- Nestled in a quiet mountain range just 96 miles east of Pittsburgh and about 30 miles from Penn State, the new Kopp Drug store here is reflective of the small regional chain's recent decision to get a little bigger--or at least...

Drug Store News honored for editorial excellence in business media.(NEWS & ANALYSIS)(American Society of Business Publication Editors)
August 13, 2007... NEW YORK -- For the third consecutive year, The Drug Store News Group has been honored by the American Society of Business Publication Editors, this year winning three of the organization's annual awards for editorial excellence. Taking...

Lifestyle format continues to drive revitalized Safeway sales.(SUPERMARKET RX)(revenue report)(Financial report)
August 13, 2007... PLEASANTON, Calif. -- Safeway reported an 11 percent decline in profits for its second quarter, but the retailer still earned a robust $218.2 million in net income on the strength of its Lifestyle stores that now comprise more than half of the...

Albertsons' robust sales boost Supervalu's first-quarter earnings.(SUPERMARKET RX)(revenue report)(Financial report)
August 13, 2007... EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn.- Supervalu reported strong first-quarter earnings driven by sales at Albertsons stores acquired last year. The 2,464-store chain that operates 878 food-and-drug combo stores earned $148 million in the first quarter on...

SAA gifts eyewear to Lions Club.(MAKING THE SCENE)(Sunglass Association of America)(Brief article)
August 13, 2007... The Sunglass Association of America recently donated 1,000 pairs of sunglasses and reading glasses to the Chicago-based Lions Club at the SAA's mid-year board of directors meeting. Pictured are Tibor Gross, SAA president and executive vice...

Fuji honors Yankee legends.(MAKING THE SCENE)(Brief article)
August 13, 2007... Taizo Mori, president of Fujifilm Holdings America Corp.; Bobby Abreu of the New York Yankees and Camilla Jenkins, vice president of corporate communications at Fujifilm Holdings America Corp., at the Old Timers' Day held July 7 at Yankee...

Saluting health care leaders.(MAKING THE SCENE)(achievements)(Brief article)
August 13, 2007... American Legacy magazine and Bayer Aspirin honored Carolyn Britton, associate professor of clinical neurology at the New York Presbyterian Hospital Columbia Medical Center; Lenore Coleman, owner of Total Diabetes Care & Medical Supply Company...

Dean recognized for service.(MAKING THE SCENE)(Dean Stephen M. Gross)(Brief article)
August 13, 2007... Dean Stephen M. Gross of the Pharmacy College at Long Island University closely examines the congressional record and a hand-blown mortar and pestle during ceremonies June 21 honoring him for 30 years of service. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Kmart awards top pharmacists.(MAKING THE SCENE)(Brief article)
August 13, 2007... Kmart has named Linda Freeman of Tampa, Fla., its 2006 National Pharmacist of the Year, and tapped three other company practitioners for divisional pharmacist of the year honors. Named Central Division Pharmacist of the Year is Mark Feightner...

AMA attacks are enough to make you sick.(OPINION)(American Medical Association)(Editorial)
August 13, 2007... I had just come back from seeing Michael Moore's new film "Sicko," and all things considered, I was actually feeling pretty good. Then I read about how the American Medical Association is calling on the government to investigate the growth of...

House lawmakers promote new bill to overhaul Medicaid payment rule.(CHAIN PHARMACY)(Editorial)
August 13, 2007... WASHINGTON -- A bill to overhaul the Federal government's new and controversial Medicaid prescription payment plan for pharmacies is gaining ground in Congress after a strong bipartisan send-off in late July. The newly authored Patient...

New public and private initiatives could spur rollout of e-prescribing.(CHAIN PHARMACY)
August 13, 2007... WASHINGTON -- Two events unfolded in recent weeks that could help ignite the fitful drive among pharmacy and other health care stakeholders for the rapid nationwide adoption of electronic prescribing and data-driven health care. The most...

LIU honors Dean Gross.(CHAIN PHARMACY)(Long Island University)(Dean Gross)(Brief article)
August 13, 2007... University officers presented Dean Gross with a hand-blown mortar and pestle with an inscription that read "Long Island University with warmth and appreciation recognizes Steve Gross for his three decades of service June 21, 2007." Pictured...

National Association of Chain Drug Stores.(REPORTERS Notebook)(Brief article)
August 13, 2007... Calling it a "flawed decision," the National Association of Chain Drug Stores responded quickly and angrily to a recent court ruling and legal interpretation in West Virginia that the group says undermines the role of pharmacists as health care...

Medicine Shoppe India.(REPORTERS Notebook)(Medicine Shoppe International Inc., a subsidiary of Cardinal Health Inc. plans to open drug stores in India)(Brief article)
August 13, 2007... Medicine Shoppe India, owned by U.S.-based Cardinal Health, plans to open 500 drug stores in India within the next two to three years. The company plans to add another 100 retail stores this year to its current chain of 130 stores, which are...

Ranbaxy.(REPORTERS Notebook)(Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd. starts production of drugs and contracts with FSC Laboratories, Inc.)(Brief article)
August 13, 2007... Ranbaxy, India's largest pharmaceutical company, started production of its first authorized generic drug, Isoptin SR, following an agreement with North Carolina-based FSC Laboratories. "The commercialization of Isoptin SR heralds Ranbaxy's...

GlaxoSmithKline and Targacept in July formed an alliance in therapeutics that selectively targets specified neuronal nicotinic receptors, including Targacept's two current lead product candidates for pain.(REPORTERS Notebook)(GlaxoSmithKline Inc.)(Targacept Inc.)(Brief article)
August 13, 2007... GlaxoSmithKline and Targacept in July formed an alliance in therapeutics that selectively targets specified neuronal nicotinic receptors, including Targacept's two current lead product candidates for pain. Under the terms of the agreement, GSK...

Diabetes prevention drive draws NACDS funding.(CHAIN PHARMACY)(National Association of Chain Drug Stores provides money to Latino Diabetes Association to support patient education)(Brief article)
August 13, 2007... ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- In a major push for pharmacy-based community health and diabetes prevention, the National Association of Chain Drug Stores Foundation said it would provide $15,000 in seed money to the Latino Diabetes Association to support...

NACDS prefers awareness to keep DXM products on shelf.(OVER THE COUNTER)(National Association of Chain Drug Stores)(Dextromethorphan products)
August 13, 2007... In an apparent effort to keep cough and cold medications like those containing dextromethorphan accessible in OTC aisles, the National Association of Chain Drug Stores NACDS Foundation last month joined such organizations as the Consumer...

Bayer targets younger audience with online Aleviator 'commercial'.(OVER THE COUNTER)(Brief article)
August 13, 2007... Bayer Consumer Healthcare last month launched an interactive online "commercial" in an effort to reach a younger, Internet-savvy audience with its Aleve Liquid Gels messaging. It is one of the first times a major over-the-counter brand like...

Probiotics sales bloom.(WHAT'S HOT)(Brief article)
August 13, 2007... Generating $29.4 million in sales across food, drug and mass and growing at a 28.4 percent clip, according to Information Resources Inc. for the 52 weeks ended May 20, probiotics already is a popping category in mass channels, a trend that's...

Morning hypertension: Chuck Dushman, Omron.(Q & A)(dialogue with Chuck Dushman)(Interview)
August 13, 2007... There is an increasing awareness of the significance behind tracking blood pressure measurements in the morning--higher blood pressure readings in the morning could indicate a greater risk for morning hypertension that readings taken in the...

Nature gets personal: Mike Indursky, Burt's Bees.(Q & A)(Interview)
August 13, 2007... If is no secret that beauty shopper are growing increasingly interested in natural personal care products and manufacturers are stepping up to the plate to help meet those needs. However, along with increased offerings comes some confusion...

Tooth whiteners seek to bolster sales luster.(BEAUTY CARE)
August 13, 2007... Consumers' increased interest in appearance, as reflected in the rise in cosmetic surgery and cosmetic dentistry, continues to drive sales of whitening products; however, the whitening segment has lost some of its luster in recent years and...

Dissolving strips spark home-whitening segment.(WHAT'S HOT)(Survey)(Brief article)
August 13, 2007... Looking to further innovate the tooth-whitening segment and appeal to those who find current at-home whitening products on the shelf inconvenient, oral care brand Listerine has developed new Listerine Whitening Quick Dissolving Strips. ...

'Members-only' treatment retains, attracts reward-seeking shoppers.(BEAUTY CARE)(Brief article)
August 13, 2007... LITTLE FALLS, N.J. -- Specialty beauty retailers are beefing up such enticements as customer-loyalty programs and purchase rewards in an effort to retain customers and attract new ones, spelling increased competition for such pharmacy retailers...

Toxic toothpaste stripped from store shelves.(BEAUTY CARE)
August 13, 2007... NEW YORK -- In recent months, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has identified a number of instances of contaminated toothpaste being imported and sold in the United States, including; counterfeit Colgate toothpaste that may contain a...

Colgate-Palmolive CEO shoots down Unilever acquisition rumors.(BEAUTY CARE)
August 13, 2007... NEW YORK -- Aiming to debunk rumors that Colgate-Palmolive is talking with Unilever about a deal, company president and chief executive officer Ian Cook told analysts during its second-quarter conference call that there are "absolutely no...

Sante active.(Supplier News)(distribution agreements between Sante active and Elgydium)(Brief article)
August 13, 2007... Sante active, the U.S. subsidiary of Laboratories Pierre Fabre, France, has announced it will begin distributing the French toothpaste brand Elgydium in the United States to major drug store chains and independent pharmacies. Previously...

Procter & Gamble.(Supplier News)(Newell Rubbermaid appoints Ted Woehrle)(Brief article)
August 13, 2007... Procter & Gamble marketing veteran Ted Woehrle has joined Newell Rubbermaid in the newly created role of senior vice president of marketing and brand management. Woehrle held several pivotal marketing and general management leadership...

Hasbro's.(Supplier News)(Brief article)
August 13, 2007... To commemorate the sale of more than 2 million ToothTunes tooth brushes, Hasbro's chief operating officer Brian Goldner presented will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas with a "multi-platinum" award at The International Licensing Show in New York....

Women look to Internet to replenish beauty brands.(BEAUTY CARE)(Survey)(Brief article)
August 13, 2007... PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y. -- Retailers and manufacturers looking to reach beauty shoppers should not underestimate the Web, as recent research has shown that the Internet is one of the fastest-growing channels for buying beauty products. ...

Poshe.(Supplier News)(Poshe develop nail kit)(Brief article)
August 13, 2007... The nail and hand treatment line Poshe has developed a nail kit featuring its Food and Drug Administration-registered antimicrobial basecoat, antimicrobial cuticle oil and super-fast drying topcoat. "Most products on the market only protect...

The Estee Lauder Cos.(Supplier News)(The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. acquired Ojon Corp.)(Brief article)
August 13, 2007... The Estee Lauder Cos., a manufacturer and marketer of skin care, makeup, fragrance and hair cam products, has agreed to acquire the Ojon Corp., a privately held prestige hair care company based in Canada. Terms of the deal were not disclosed....

Pantene.(Supplier News)(Richardson-Vicks Inc. Pantene Co.)(Brief article)
August 13, 2007... Looking to inspire people to grow, cut and donate their hair to make real-hair wigs for women who have lost their hair due to cancer treatments, Academy Award-winner Hilary Swank is participating in Pantene Beautiful Lengths. The donation...

Boots.(Supplier News)(contract of CVS Corp. and Boots)(Brief article)
August 13, 2007... Beauty shoppers who were eager to snap up the sought-after No7 Restore and Renew Serum by U.K. retailer Boots wasted no time in stopping by one CVS store in Manhattan that, on July 18, offered one bot tie per customer beginning at 8 a.m. More...

The Starmaker skin care line, developed by Anson Williams, a star of the "Happy Days" TV show and a director/producer of numerous television shows.(Supplier News)(Brief article)
August 13, 2007... The Starmaker skin care line, developed by Anson Williams, a star of the "Happy Days" TV show and a director/producer of numerous television shows, and JoAnna Connell, a makeup artist and Hollywood beauty product developer, will be sold at CVS...

Sconza Candy Co.(Supplier News)(Brief article)
August 13, 2007... Sconza Candy Go. is introducing 70% cacao to its chocolate premium packaged line. The 70% cacao items, dark chocolate expresso beans and dark chocolate toffee items, are packaged in 5-ounce stand-up metallized bags. "We wanted to take...

Fassin America.(Supplier News)(Brief article)
August 13, 2007... Fassin America is encouraging children to play with their candy with the debut of its Fascini brand CrEATables chewy candy laces. The flexible, fruit-flavored candy strings can be twisted, tied and braided into jewelery and lanyards, then...

Kim & Scott's Gourmet Pretzels.(Supplier News)
August 13, 2007... Kim & Scott's Gourmet Pretzels in July introduced its chocolate crumb pretzel frozen four-pack. The sweet soft pretzel is baked with real cocoa, stuffed with creamy fudge, drizzled with dark chocolate and topped with choco late crumb. The...

Flavor fusion gives candy favorites a boost.(CONSUMABLES)
August 13, 2007... Sophisticated, multilayered flavors are driving the candy category across all segments of the business. Plain old vanilla is giving way to vanilla mint. Even lemonade--long a kid staple--is getting a boost with the addition of raspberry or...

3 Musketeers' Mint debuts on diamond anniversary.(WHAT'S HOT)(Brief article)
August 13, 2007... HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. -- The 3 Musketeers brand is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year with the debut of its new 3 Musketeers Mint, which features mint nougat dipped in dark chocolate. Combined with 45 percent less fat than the average...

Tesco to hit Hollywood Blvd.(CONSUMABLES)(Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market)(Brief article)
August 13, 2007... SAN JOSE, Calif. -- British retailer Tesco in July signed a lease to open one of the company's first locations of its newest grocery store chain, the Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market, in Los Angeles, according to an announcement by Federal...

New products seek license to go green.(GENERAL MERCHANDISE)
August 13, 2007... Leveraging name brands into healthy living and sustainability was a key trend at Licensing International 2007 in June, and some products unveiled at the show could begin showing up in stores by the end of the year. Nickelodeon showcased...

Wal-Mart lowers prices on 16,000 BTS items.(GENERAL MERCHANDISE)(back to school)(Brief article)
August 13, 2007... BENTONVILLE, Ark. -- Wal-Mart plans to combat the high price of gas by slashing prices on back-to-school products in a program it launched July 24. Wal-Mart plans to lower prices on more than 16,000 items across all product categories in...

Disney's "Cars" sales speed along.(WHAT'S HOT)(Walt Disney Co. Consumer Products)(Brief article)
August 13, 2007... For a property that doesn't have a major film or TV show to support it, Disney's "Cars" franchise is having a pretty good year. Toys and merchandise based on the film that took in $244 million at the box office in 2006 are still generating...

Storus Corp.(Supplier News)
August 13, 2007... San Ramon, Calif.-based Storus Corp. has unveiled its new Smart Money Clip Lite, a clear, nonmetallic version of its Smart Money Clip. The transparent material allows users to show their IDs without removing them from the clip, and the...

Glad Products.(Supplier News)(Brief article)
August 13, 2007... An estimated 90 percent of Americans don't eat the recommended daily allowance of vegetables each day, but Glad Products is hoping to help change that with its new Microwave Steaming Bags. The newest product in its SimplyCooking line...

Glade Flameless Candles.(Supplier News)(Survey)(Brief article)
August 13, 2007... A survey from Glade Flameless Candles showed that 76 percent of women would be willing to sacrifice their favorite purses or even their cell phones in exchange for a quiet "Me Zone" where they can relax and unwind. The study, conducted in...

CVS/Caremark merger: a new era for pharmacy?(ANNUAL Rx REPORT: PHARMACY OF THE FUTURE)
August 13, 2007... The game of pharmacy has changed. The drug store industry's two most powerful players, Walgreen Co. and CVS, each made dramatic moves this year that signal a bold new retail strategy: to exert a powerful influence within the managed care...

PBMs, clinical care capture bigger role in industry's future.(ANNUAL Rx REPORT: PHARMACY OF THE FUTURE)(pharmacy benefits management)
August 13, 2007... How serious are major retail pharmacy chains about expanding opportunities in pharmacy benefit management and other health care initiatives? Consider this: the pharmacy benefit management companies owned by two retail pharmacy chains, Walgreen...

Surging demand for specialty Rx may be problematic for retail.(ANNUAL Rx REPORT: PHARMACY OF THE FUTURE)
August 13, 2007... Specialty and bio-engineered drugs are surging, and the explosive growth in demand for these highly tailored, high-cost medications poses both an opportunity and a major challenge for retail pharmacy. There's no question that the future of...

Consumer demand will drive burgeoning retail clinic industry.(ANNUAL Rx REPORT: PHARMACY OF THE FUTURE)
August 13, 2007... NEW YORK -- Since emerging on the scene in 2000, in-store health clinics have strived to fin a void in today's health care system--which, on more than one occasion, has been classified as broken by industry observers--by treating common...

Industry charts determined course.(ANNUAL Rx REPORT: THE M-WORDS)
August 13, 2007... Is community pharmacy approaching a golden shore of new opportunities, or just trying to steer its way through a rocky and hazardous coastline without running aground? The answer could be a little of both. With tens of millions of...

Progress slow in Medicare reform efforts.(ANNUAL Rx REPORT: THE M-WORDS)
August 13, 2007... Since sweeping back into power with control of both houses of Congress in January, the Democratic Party has learned anew a bitter lesson in politics: Being the majority party doesn't necessarily translate into legislative success. The...

Industry looks to Congress, states for Medicaid relief.(ANNUAL Rx REPORT: THE M-WORDS)
August 13, 2007... Unable to stop me new Medicaid average manufacturer's price-based payment stampede unleashed last month by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the retail pharmacy industry has turned for relief to Congress and the states. But despite...

Mandatory mail still a threat, but prescriptions by post slow.(ANNUAL Rx REPORT: THE M-WORDS)
August 13, 2007... The impact mail order has had on community pharmacy over the past decade is profound. And the rapid rise of mandatory mail plans, which penalize members with higher co-pays if they choose to get their chronic-care prescriptions from their local...

Transitioning to era of patient-centric care.(ANNUAL Rx REPORT: BEYOND DISPENSING)(Brief article)
August 13, 2007... Community pharmacy stands at a crossroads. Buffeted by rapid technological change, a new era of patient-centered care, the decentralization of clinical care and disease management, and the diminishing returns of an increasingly...

Pharmacy, politicians promote national health IT system.(ANNUAL Rx REPORT: BEYOND DISPENSING)
August 13, 2007... Despite widespread support from retail pharmacy, policymakers and other health care stakeholders, the rollout of a nationwide electronic prescribing system has been a gradual process of fits and starts. A national e-prescribing network--and its...

Seize MTM's promise, new leaders urge.(ANNUAL Rx REPORT: BEYOND DISPENSING)(Medication Therapy Management)
August 13, 2007... When Congress created the Medicare Part D drug benefit program as part of the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003, lawmakers acknowledged within the language of the bill that some elderly beneficiaries would require additional counseling about...

New Rx tech emerging as volumes grow.(ANNUAL Rx REPORT: BEYOND DISPENSING)
August 13, 2007... The health care system's accelerating shift to electronic record-keeping and paperless prescriptions is driving the widespread adoption of systems that collect, transmit and store electronic medical records, a recent study has shown. The...

Pharmacists wield new tool in campaign to boost compliance.(ANNUAL Rx REPORT: BEYOND DISPENSING)
August 13, 2007... There's nothing like 125,000 needless deaths a year and billions of dollars in waste to raise awareness among policymakers and patient advocates about the acute problem of medication errors and patient noncompliance. A spate of recent news...

Amid a consolidating market, a few Rx giants emerge.(ANNUAL Rx REPORT: PHARMACY OF THE PRESENT)(Company rankings)
August 13, 2007... The strongest have survived. They've also gotten a lot bigger and more powerful. Years of take-no-prisoners competition and withering profit margins at the pharmacy counter have severely winnowed the retail pharmacy playing field, and the...

Chain, independent drug retailers strengthen strategic alliances.(ANNUAL Rx REPORT: PHARMACY OF THE PRESENT)(Financial report)
August 13, 2007... The drug store industry has taken the gloves off. But its bout with the forces that threaten its future is likely to go many rounds and to require all the swiftness, steely nerves and endurance chain pharmacy leaders can muster. The...

Supermarkets blends Rx with whole-health, organic offerings.(ANNUAL Rx REPORT: PHARMACY OF THE PRESENT)
August 13, 2007... Supermarkets remain a potent force in pharmacy retailing, but the growth rate for prescription sales in food-drug combo stores lags behind that of all other trade channels except independent drug stores. According to IMS Health, supermarket...

Wal-Mart scores big with $4 generic prescription offer.(ANNUAL Rx REPORT: PHARMACY OF THE PRESENT)(Wal-Mart Stores Inc.)
August 13, 2007... Few recent developments in retail pharmacy have had the impact that Wal-Mart Stores' $4 generic drug price promotion achieved. Judging from the results thus far, the program looks like it's here to stay. Wal-Mart first unveiled the $4...

Branded pharma looks to biotech, diversified pipeline.(ANNUAL Rx REPORT: BRANDED)
August 13, 2007... Times are changing, and those changes can be seen in the branded drug industry. According to industry experts, pharmaceutical companies are rethinking their tactics, as they are faced with fewer opportunities for blockbuster drugs and ongoing...

Blockbuster pharmaceuticals thrive despite setbacks.(ANNUAL Rx REPORT: BRANDED)
August 13, 2007... The biggest shock to the branded drug industry in the past year has been the withdrawal of Pfizer's drug torcetrapib from the market last December. The drug was taken out of clinical trials, just two months before the pharmaceutical company was...

New delivery provides innovation in diabetes management.(ANNUAL Rx REPORT: BRANDED)
August 13, 2007... Diabetes, a disease with no cure, now is affecting 7 percent of the U.S. population, or 20.8 million adults and children. The disease impacts the body's ability to produce insulin, resulting in high glucose or blood sugar levels. Treatment...

Arthritis Rx moves toward OTC aisles.(ANNUAL Rx REPORT: BRANDED)(Over-the-Counter)
August 13, 2007... Arthritis now affects 1-in-every-6 Americans, making it one of the most widespread diseases in the United States. In total there are 46 million doctor-diagnosed cases, and experts predict that count to rise to 67 million by 2020. In a...

Pressured by patent expirations, new hypertension solutions found.(ANNUAL Rx REPORT: BRANDED)
August 13, 2007... High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, afflicts 1-in-3 Americans, and costs associated with the malady were estimated at $63.5 billion in 2006, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Half of the population over 60 has high...

Respiratory drug sales climb as asthma, COPD cases rise.(ANNUAL Rx REPORT: BRANDED)
August 13, 2007... The global respiratory drug market is projected to exceed sales of $44 billion by 2010, according to market research firm Kalorama Information. As the incidence of lung and breathing-related illnesses climb around the world, drug sales in...

New names shake up cholesterol market.(ANNUAL Rx REPORT: BRANDED)(Report)
August 13, 2007... Anyone is at risk for high blood cholesterol--even children, according to the Centers for Disease Control. The desirable level of total cholesterol is less than 200 mg per deciliter. Yet an estimated 106.9 million American adults have total...