Drug Store News articles from August 2008

Drug Store News archives from August 2008

Medicare bill passage a huge Rx win.
August 18, 2008... WASHINGTON -- When the dust settles, retail pharmacy advocates still will have a lot of work to do in their long campaign for full recognition and a healthier financial future. But they can justly savor last month's passage of a landmark...

San Francisco smokers must look elsewhere.(NEWS & ANALYSIS)
August 18, 2008... SAN FRANCISCO -- Starting Oct. 1, drug store shoppers here will have to look elsewhere for their nicotine fix. San Francisco's board of supervisors voted 8-3 Aug. 5 to give final approval to a ban on tobacco sales in pharmacies that Mayor...

Judge upholds Medi-Cal cuts.(NEWS & ANALYSIS)(Brief article)
August 18, 2008... LOS ANGELES -- Snatching a short-lived victory away from thousands of pharmacists in California, a state court here reversed an earlier decision to halt a steep, 10 percent cut in the state's Medicaid program, Medi-Cal. The ruling, issued...

Minn. BCBS axes clinic co-pays.(NEWS & ANALYSIS)(Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota)(Brief article)
August 18, 2008... EAGAN, Minn. -- In another nod to the important role retail clinics play in improving access and affordability to health care, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota announced last month that it will eliminate co-pays related to treatment and...

CVS' 'Power of One' offering makes for strong second quarter.(NEWS & ANALYSIS)(CVS Caremark Corp.)
August 18, 2008... WOONSOCKET, R.I. -- CVS Caremark's retail resilience, supported by the success of its loyalty card program, was notable during the second quarter, but its PBM business was top of mind for many as the PBM's strong profitability further...

Duane Reade readies for third quarter.(NEWS & ANALYSIS)(Duane Reade Holding Corp.)(Brief article)
August 18, 2008... NEW YORK -- With its new chairman and chief executive officer John Lederer less than six months on the job, Duane Reade continues to garner solid same-store sales, especially at the front end, and that trend will likely continue as management...

Drugstore.com expands reach to 34 countries.(NEWS & ANALYSIS)(Brief article)
August 18, 2008... BELLEVUE, Wash. -- Drug store.com last month announced it has entered into a contract to utilize E4X's FiftyOne Global Ecommerce Solution, which will enable the online retailer to sell OTC products in 34 countries around the world. "This...

Walgreens-OptionCare teams up with Idaho's MedNow.(NEWS & ANALYSIS)(Brief article)
August 18, 2008... DEERFIELD, Ill. -- In a deal that expands the company's reach beyond the pharmacy counter and further into the rarified arena of specialized health care, Walgreens has entered into a joint venture with MedNow, a Nampa, Idahobased home infusion,...

Jewel-Osco adds incentives for Rx customers.(NEWS & ANALYSIS)(prescription drug )
August 18, 2008... CHICAGO -- Supervalu continues to use its powerful Jewel-Osco banner as a testing ground for new programs, unveiling a new prescription discount program in July and plans to open a small-format store this fall. The Prescription Plus plan...

Survey says use of online coupons up.(NEWS & ANALYSIS)(Survey)
August 18, 2008... MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. -- The number of people turning to the Web for coupons has grown by more than 38 percent over the past three years, and now totals some 36 million "coupon clickers," according to a new study released late last month by...

Walgreens offers 90-day generic discount.(NEWS & ANALYSIS)(Brief article)
August 18, 2008... DEERFIELD, Ill. -- Ratcheting up the discounting tug-of-war over generic drugs, Walgreens this month unveiled a new addition to its Prescription Savings Club promotional program by offering a 90-day supply of more than 400 generic medications...

Aurora continues its environmental efforts.(NEWS & ANALYSIS)(Aurora Pharmacy)
August 18, 2008... ELM GROVE, Wis. -- Just days before Earth Day, Aurora Pharmacy was helping to clean the environment in its own way. The company in May held its third annual Medication Collection Day, where patients were able to bring their unused medication to...

Company hopes retailers get point of Medical Waste Machine.(NEWS & ANALYSIS)(Brief article)
August 18, 2008... FRAMINGHAM, Mass. -- States across the country are now working on legislation to institute new medical waste regulations, which would not allow the disposal of sharps like syringes, needles and lancets in household garbage. In response to this,...

Farmacia Remedios eves doubled store count.(NEWS & ANALYSIS)
August 18, 2008... LOS ANGELES -- Independent pharmacy chain Farmacia Remedios has ramped up expansion in California, and will more than double its store count in 2008, including its first pharmacy inside a supermarket and another that features all-natural...

New SF law makes you wonder what mayor is smoking.(OPINION)
August 18, 2008... Feel free to sing along if you like: (To the tune of "If you're going to San Francisco") If you're going to San Francisco, Make sure to bring a carton of cigarettes there. If you're going to San Francisco, You're...

CRN fights to protect weight loss from disease-state claim.(OVER THE COUNTER)(Council for Responsible Nutrition )
August 18, 2008... WASHINGTON -- The Council for Responsible Nutrition last month delivered a 19-page document to the Food and Drug Administration outlining exactly why food and supplement manufacturers should not be stripped of their ability to make weight-loss...

New pressure to quit smoking.(WHAT'S HOT)(Survey)
August 18, 2008... LINWOOD, N.J. -- The average smoker who attempts to kick the habit, tries an average of 6.1 times before he or she is successful, according to the Canadian Tobacco Use Monitoring Survey. And all those want-to-be-nonsmokers represent a pretty...

Unhealthy choices plague healthcare, prompt wellness.(OVER THE COUNTER)(Survey)
August 18, 2008... CHICAGO -- Americans may take full responsibility for the fact that health-averse behaviors like smoking or not exercising contribute to greater health costs, but they are not as eager to personally bear those increased costs, a new survey from...

New products infuse latest ECRM meeting with energy.(OVER THE COUNTER)
August 18, 2008... MINNEAPOLIS -- There was a lot of energy at the downtown Hyatt in Minneapolis this year, according to several retailers attending the ECRM Diet, Vitamin & Sports Nutrition EPPS meeting, though that was in large part thanks to the number of...

Wyeth Consumer Healthcare.(Supplier News)(Wyeth Consumer Healthcare acquired Procter & Gamble )(Brief article)
August 18, 2008... Wyeth Consumer Healthcare last month acquired the ThermaCare brand from Procter & Gamble for an undisclosed sum. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Although it's still the leading product in the heat- and ice-pack segment, with sales of $51.1...

Cognis Nutrition and Health.(Supplier News)(Tonalin CLA diet-aid supplement)(Brief article)
August 18, 2008... Cognis Nutrition and Health last month announced that the Food and Drug Administration issued a "no questions letter" for Cognis' Tonalin CLA diet-aid supplement, granting it generally-recognized-as-safe status. The new FDA GRAS status...

The Consumer Healthcare Products Association and the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America recently commended Senate Resolution 614, which designates August as National Medicine Abuse Awareness Month.(Supplier News)(Brief article)
August 18, 2008... The Consumer Healthcare Products Association and the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America recently commended Senate Resolution 614, which designates August as National Medicine Abuse Awareness Month. Sponsored by Sens. Joseph Biden Jr.,...

Clarification.(OVER THE COUNTER)(Correction notice)
August 18, 2008... In the June 23 issue of Drug Store News, the story "Automated kiosks act as virtual OTC advisors," (p. 90) noted that "Vestcom's integrated shopper marketing kiosks have been in use for more than 20 years in supermarkets." Vestcom does not, in...

OTC sales up despite down economy.(ECRM Health Care)(over the counter drugs)
August 18, 2008... It just may be that the current economic slowdown could be providing a significant lift for purveyors of over-the-counter healthcare solutions. Because while your average Jane makes significant trade-offs here and there on the family's...

Three trends you must know.(ECRM Health Care)
August 18, 2008... 1 PSE Sales of pseudoephedrine products sold behind the pharmacy counter are on the upswing again, almost three years after being mandated to BTC placement by federal legislation. You can thank an Ober-loyal consumer, suppliers in the category...

Energizer.(Supplier News)(Brief article)
August 18, 2008... Retailers may hear the sound of green coming out of their hearing-aid displays, and not because of sales but because there is now a hearing-aid battery on the market that contains no mercury. And that means more green in terms of the...

W.F. Young.(Supplier News)(Absorbine Jr. Pain Relieving Liquid)(Brief article)
August 18, 2008... Customers may have found a new use for W.F. Young's Absorbine Jr. Pain Relieving Liquid: a gnat repellent. "Absorbine Jr. is flying off store shelves in these flood-ravaged areas, with store personnel reporting that people are using it as...

BioBrace.(Supplier News)(ForeArmed Active Implant Brace introduction)(Brief article)
August 18, 2008... BioBrace, a medical device manufacturer focused exclusively on medical conditions related to repetitive-motion and sports injuries, recently began distribution of its ForeArmed Active Implant Brace, which combines principles of acupressure with...

Boiron USA.(ECRM Health Care)(Arnicare Gel introduction)(Brief article)
August 18, 2008... Boiron USA's homeopathic Arnicare Gel offers a safe way to soothe everyday aches and pains brought on by active lifestyles. Unlike many OTC pain-relief gels, Arnicare Gel not only treats muscle aches and stiffness, but it also relieves pain,...

Hisamitsu America.(ECRM Health Care)(Hisamitsu Pharmaceutical Company Inc. )(Brief article)
August 18, 2008... New Salonpas Pain Relief Patch/Salonpas Arthritis Pain from Hisamitsu America is the first and only Food and Drug Administration-approved OTC pain-relief patch for the temporary relief of mild-to-moderate muscle and arthritis pain. ...

Anti-age products prop up sagging skin care sales.(BEAUTY CARE)
August 18, 2008... The U.S. skin care market is poised for continued growth, but not across the board. In fact, several segments are expected to decline over the next several years, according to data from Euromonitor International. Interestingly, all except...

Licensed children's skin care products poised for rebound.(BEAUTY CARE)(Brief article)
August 18, 2008... NEW YORK -- The U.S. market for children's licensed personal care products has experienced a double-digit drop from 2006, but is poised for a rebound due in part to an increasing children's population, according to a recent research report by...

Awareness grows skin care: Shayne Sundholm, Stiefel Laboratories.(Q&A)(Stiefel Laboratories Inc.)(Interview)
August 18, 2008... Emerging as a family-owned business in 1847 in Germany, Stiefel Laboratories, a maker of over-the-counter skin care products that treat such conditions as acne, eczema and itch, has evolved into a thriving global dermatology company with its...

Capsules turn back time.(WHAT'S HOT)(Brief article)
August 18, 2008... BARRINGTON, Ill. -- Mass market beauty shoppers likely will see an increase in the availability of facial serums in a capsule as this trend--seen among such prestige beauty brands as Elizabath Arden and Philosophy--trickles into the mass...

Skin care growth in China follows France, U.S.(BEAUTY CARE)
August 18, 2008... PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y. -- Consistent with trends witnessed in the U.S. beauty market, China experienced a growth in sales of premium facial skin care products in 2007, as more women are willing to spend top dollar to look younger, according to...

Innovation likely to continue brushing up oral care category.(BEAUTY CARE)
August 18, 2008... Oral hygiene experienced a brushing up in 2007 and emerged as one of the fastest-growing sectors in the U.S. cosmetics and toiletries industries thanks in large part to a strong surge of hot new products. However, 2008 looks to be more...

The 'demetrosexualization' of men's grooming.(BEAUTY CARE)
August 18, 2008... "Demetrosexualization" doesn't exist in the dictionary, but the English language lacks any other word to describe the current trend in men's personal care products. Not long ago, metrosexual was the "in" thing, its image defined by such...

Going green from day one: organic baby care products.(BEAUTY CARE)(Survey)
August 18, 2008... In the baby care category, everything is coming up green. "The trend across all juvenile products is organic, natural, simple," said Amy Chezem, a spokeswoman for the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association. "Today's mothers are a little...

The many different shades of ethnic skin care.(BEAUTY CARE)(Survey)
August 18, 2008... Ethnic skin care--once overlooked--now presents a glowing opportunity for drug store retailers. Chains used to focus primarily on hair care or cosmetics formulations for women of color, leaving skin care to the general market....

Colgate performs well worldwide.(BEAUTY CARE)(Colgate-Palmolive Co. revenue report)(Financial report)
August 18, 2008... NEW YORK -- Despite the struggling economy and rising prices of raw materials, at least one company is still doing well. Colgate reported strong second-quarter earnings from around the world July 29, including the United States, and such...

Colorful quarter for Revlon.(BEAUTY CARE)(revenue report)(Financial report)
August 18, 2008... NEW YORK -- Revlon experienced strong results for the second quarter of this year, the company stated on July 30. The New York-based beauty products manufacturer had a net sales increase of 7.8 percent to $376.4 million, compared with...

P&G posts 24th-straight quarter of growth.(BEAUTY CARE)(Procter & Gamble Co. revenue report)(Financial report)
August 18, 2008... CINCINNATI -- Procter & Gamble posted its 24th-consecutive quarter of top-line growth at or above the company's targets, as it completed the integration of Gillette. "We're leading innovations across the brand portfolio, building value for...

Economy driving more shoppers to plan home meals.(CONSUMABLES)(Survey)
August 18, 2008... U.S. consumers are experiencing a shock to their wallets, and retailers are scrambling to adapt to the new marketplace. A recent report from Information Resources Inc., "Competing in a Transforming Economy," showed that consumers have shifted...

When money times get tough, the tough eat candy.(CONSUMABLES)
August 18, 2008... CHICAGO -- Though many Americans are tightening their belts on luxury items and fuel, candy sales are staying strong, according to data released from Information Resources Inc., and the National Confectioners Association. In May, the...

M&M's enter premium candy aisle.(WHAT'S HOT)(Mars Snackfood)(Brief article)
August 18, 2008... HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. -- Last month Mars Snackfood introduced its latest expansion on the ever-popular M&M's candies brand--M&M's Premium Chocolate Candies. The new premium candies are wrapped in colorful foils and packed into handy, portable...

Digital camera sales stay on the rise.(GENERAL MERCHANDISE)
August 18, 2008... Digital camera sales continued to climb the first half of the year, bucking projections that they would begin a slow decline in 2008 after a record-setting year in 2007. According to data from the NPD Group, camera sales increased 5.8 percent...

Mattel wins Bratz dispute with MGA.(GENERAL MERCHANDISE)(MGA Entertainment)(Bratz doll)(Brief article)
August 18, 2008... LOS ANGELES -- Mattel won a major legal battle with chief rival MGA Entertainment in July when a jury ruled that a designer was still employed by Mattel when he created the first Bratz doll. Now the question is whether the decision will require...

AG goes Hollywood.(WHAT'S HOT)(American Greetings)(Brief article)
August 18, 2008... HOLLYWOOD, Calif. -- American Greetings signed two deals this summer giving the company rights to images and sound clips from thousands of movies dating back to the 1920s. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In July it signed a licensing deal with...

BMI Merchandise.(Supplier News)(Brief article)
August 18, 2008... BMI Merchandise is debuting a new line of licensed products this month for back-to-school shopping. The product selection ranges from backpacks to stationery and includes Tinker and Dora the Explorer gym bags and Disney Princess and Spiderman...

Twentieth Century Fox Licensing & Merchandising.(Supplier News)(Twentieth Century Fox Licensing & Merchandising contract with Kidrobot)(Brief article)
August 18, 2008... Twentieth Century Fox Licensing & Merchandising is teaming with Kidrobot to release a line of vinyl toy mini-figures based on characters from "The Simpsons." The line will feature 24 three-inch figures and come with a character sticker. The...

American Greetings.(Supplier News)(American Greetings sell its properties to Cookie Jar Entertainment )(Brief article)
August 18, 2008... American Greetings has agreed to sell its Care Bears and Strawberry Shortcake properties to Cookie Jar Entertainment in a $195 million deal that also will include American Greeting's Sushi Pack property. As part of the deal, American Greetings...

Character brands find success in healthful food aisles.(GENERAL MERCHANDISE)
August 18, 2008... Customers are accustomed to seeing images of kid icons on candy wrappers and boxes of sugar-laden cereals, but that's starting to change--the trend toward healthy food is trickling down to kids. Warner Bros. Consumer Products is preparing...

Hallmark signs licensing deal with Fox.(GENERAL MERCHANDISE)(Hallmark Cards Inc. licensing agreements with Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp.)(Brief article)
August 18, 2008... LOS ANGELES -- Hallmark has signed a deal with 20th Century Fox Licensing and Merchandising that gives the greeting card company access to images and. sound clips from 50 years of TV shows and movies. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The...

Duracell.(Supplier News)(Duracell Mini Charger launched)(Brief article)
August 18, 2008... Duracell is rolling out four new models in its Duracell Mini Charger series sporting four different colors. The lineup marks the first time Duracell has offered a product in multiple colors and includes hot pink, electric blue, lime green and...

20th Century Fox.(Supplier News)(Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp.)(Brief article)
August 18, 2008... The hit comedy Dr. Seuss' "Horton Hears a Who" will debut on DVD Dec. 9 in a two-disc special edition. 20th Century Fox is teaming with such high profile partners as Macy's, Energy Star and L'Or6al to promote the family title that made $294...

Proctor & Gamble.(Supplier News)(Brief article)
August 18, 2008... Proctor & Gamble has a new program that offers money-back guarantees and discounts on its Swifter cleaning products. The marketing effort kicked off July 22 with ads and TV commercials using the tagline, "Cleans Better than a Mop and Bucket...

Pharmacy on the verge of a new healthcare paradigm.(STATE OF THE INDUSTRY REPORT)
August 18, 2008... First, take a moment to celebrate a hard-won victory. OK, time's up. Now comes the really tough part. After a monumental effort to educate lawmakers about the value of community pharmacy and the dangers the industry faces from new Medicaid...

Drug retailers move beyond dispensing to a broader business model.(STATE OF THE INDUSTRY REPORT)
August 18, 2008... It isn't your father's pharmacy anymore. Retail pharmacy operators in all channels have grappled for two decades with the relentless decline of profit margins at the hands of public and private managed care plans and the cost-cutting...

Mass Rx outlook: Wal-Mart eyes bigger role in healthcare.(STATE OF THE INDUSTRY REPORT)(Wal-Mart Stores Inc.)
August 18, 2008... Throughout most of its decades-long involvement in the pharmacy business, Wal-Mart was content with the solid growth that resulted from rapid store expansion and a hard-fought reputation for low prices. Not anymore. The formula for...

'Big-boxers' go toe-to-toe on $4 generics.(STATE OF THE INDUSTRY REPORT)
August 18, 2008... It's been relatively quiet on the mass market pharmacy front of late, but don't expect the silence to last long. Since Wal-Mart introduced its $4 generic pricing program nearly two years ago, and expanded it earlier this year to include a...

Supermarket Rx outlook: leveraging food-drug connection.(STATE OF THE INDUSTRY REPORT)
August 18, 2008... Supermarket-drug combo stores are always looking for ways to make the two businesses mesh seamlessly, and Supervalu has found a way to do so with a new program launched last month at its Jewel-Osco stores in the Midwest. [ILLUSTRATION...

New Medicare overhaul gives industry breathing room.(LEGISLATIVE/REGULATORY REPORT)
August 18, 2008... National Association of Chain Drug Stores president and chief executive officer Steve Anderson called it "a watershed day for pharmacies and patients." Bruce Roberts, executive vice president and chief executive officer of the National...

Differences in drug store regulations by state create rifts, holdups.(LEGISLATIVE/REGULATORY REPORT)
August 18, 2008... NEW YORK -- Any retail pharmacy in the United States must traverse a rugged landscape of legal, regulatory and political obstacles to do its business. But challenges at the federal level are only part of the story. Drug stores must also...

DME bidding rule delayed, but Part B still faces pressure.(LEGISLATIVE/REGULATORY REPORT)(durable medical equipment)
August 18, 2008... The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and pharmacy retailers have wrangled for more than a year over a plan by CMS to require retailers to submit to a competitive bidding process for the right to sell or distribute durable medical...

One sure election outcome: change in healthcare system.(LEGISLATIVE/REGULATORY REPORT)
August 18, 2008... Whether the next U.S. president is a Democrat or Republican, pharmacy leaders can count on one thing: change is coming to the U.S. healthcare system. Given the public outcry over the rising costs of health coverage and the number of...

Import drug safety under scrutiny.(LEGISLATIVE/REGULATORY REPORT)
August 18, 2008... News of the contaminated blood-thinner heparin, which was manufactured in China, was responsible for some 81 deaths in the United States, raised plenty of concern over the Food and Drug Administration's ability to protect American consumers...

Canada's Big Pharma fails to stand by promises.(LEGISLATIVE/REGULATORY REPORT)
August 18, 2008... For seven consecutive years, brand-name pharmaceutical companies in Canada have broken their promise to invest 10 percent of their Canadian sales in research and development in that country. Reinvesting this money was a commitment made by...

Candidates: open drug borders.(LEGISLATIVE/REGULATORY REPORT)
August 18, 2008... This year, both presidential candidates are proposing to allow European and Canadian pharmaceutical competition into the United States as one way to combat the rising costs of prescription medicines in this country. The campaign Web site...

MTM slowly gains support though pilot programs, outreach.(TECH REPORT)(medication therapy management)
August 18, 2008... Clear as mud. Two and a half years after the launch of Medicare Part D and the federally mandated concept of medication therapy management, that seems to be the general consensus among many pharmacists, pharmacy leaders, managed-care...

Centice.(Supplier News)(PASS Rx)(Brief article)
August 18, 2008... Centice's PASS Rx confirms the accuracy of dispensed solid prescription medications, helping improve safety, quality and efficiency by verifying the contents of a filled and capped prescription vial prior to handing it to the customer. ...

InnovationRx.(Supplier News)(Brief article)
August 18, 2008... InnovationRx has created a new service aimed at helping the 50 percent of people who do not take their medications as prescribed, as well as the near 33 percent who receive prescriptions that they never fill, according to the company. Key...

Alliances make forward strides toward 'telehealth'.(TECH REPORT)
August 18, 2008... NEW YORK -- Telehealth is well on its way to becoming a viable reality, evidenced by the number of announcements between at-home diagnostic manufacturers and healthcare platform providers. But the real push toward telehealth will come...

Innovation and TeleManager Technologies have agreed to integrate Innovation's PharmASSIST Symphony workflow management system and TeleManager's Refill TeleManager to provide retailers.(Supplier News)(Brief article)
August 18, 2008... Innovation and TeleManager Technologies have agreed to integrate Innovation's PharmASSIST Symphony workflow management system and TeleManager's Refill TeleManager to provide retailers with a better way to handle prescription refills and overall...

Retail clinics mature as viable healthcare option.(RETAIL CLINIC REPORT)(Company rankings)
August 18, 2008... Amid the backdrop of an overburdened U.S. healthcare system and rising healthcare costs, the convenient care industry has risen to the challenge and today is a maturing industry that continues to evolve into an accessible and affordable...

AMA backs tobacco ban in clinic retailers.(RETAIL CLINIC REPORT)
August 18, 2008... In what appears to be an annual event for the American Medical Association, the group has once again backed a new health policy that aims to stunt the growth of retail-based clinics. Physicians gathered in Chicago in mid-June for the AMA's...

Clinics' legislative issues ease.(RETAIL CLINIC REPORT)
August 18, 2008... Since first appearing on the radar screen about eight years ago, retail-based clinics have faced their share of legislative hurdles as some health officials and policymakers have been quick to raise their defenses and act before truly...

MinuteClinic business grows thanks to support from CVS.(RETAIL CLINIC REPORT)(MinuteClinic acquisition by CVS Caremark )(Brief article)
August 18, 2008... MinuteClinic's aggressive growth plans, subsequent acquisition by CVS Caremark and list of "firsts" has put this clinic operator atop the retail clinic rankings. In September 2006, CVS snapped up the in-store clinic operator and, since...

Walqreens extends Take Care to 23 U.S. cities.(RETAIL CLINIC REPORT )(Walgreens acquired Take Care Health Systems)(Brief article)
August 18, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Walgreens completed in May 2007 its acquisition of in-store clinic operator Take Care Health Systems, a move that has not only proved the willingness of Walgreens' senior management to be flexible, but has also had a...

Wal-Mart signs co-branding plan with RediClinic.(RETAIL CLINIC REPORT)(Wal-Mart Stores Inc.)(Brief article)
August 18, 2008... Clinic operator RediClinic (formerly InterFit Health) was founded in 1989 and today has more than 30 locations within retail settings. As of press time, the company operated 20 locations in H-E-B stores in Houston and Austin, Texas, as well...

Plans for Little Clinic's growth could be far-reaching.(RETAIL CLINIC REPORT)(Brief article)
August 18, 2008... The Little Clinic opened its doors in 2003 with its first two clinics in Kroger supermarkets in Louisville, Ky. Today, the company operates more than 60 clinics within Kroger, Fry's and Publix locations in seven states. Earlier this year,...

Medcor, Target partner for clinics.(RETAIL CLINIC REPORT)(Brief article)
August 18, 2008... With the loss of the MinuteClinics it operated prior to CVS' acquisition of MinuteClinic, Target needed to go back to the drawing board in September 2006, when it launched the first clinic bearing its own name. Today, it has 24 in-store Target...

Branded eyes biologics as patent expirations loom.(BRANDED)
August 18, 2008... The well has been drying up for branded pharmaceutical companies over the past couple of years. With such blockbuster drugs as Pfizer's cholesterol drug Lipitor, the world's best-selling drug, and AstraZeneca's gastroesophageal reflux disease...

Focus shifts to replenishing pipeline.(BRANDED)
August 18, 2008... Most of the leading drug companies have weak pipelines and huge products going off patent. Drugs with $20 billion worth of annual sales are expected to lose patent protection in 2008, according to IMS Health, putting enormous pressure on the...

Diabetes' alarming rise propels new research.(BRANDED)
August 18, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The following is Part 1 of a 10-part series on the 10 leading disease states/therapeutic treatment classes in retail pharmacy. To download the complete 10-part report please log onto www.drugstorenews.com Health...