Drug Store News articles from December 2005

Drug Store News archives from December 2005

Carteret, N.J.--Pathmark Stores on Thursday appointed Kenneth Martindale co-president and chief marketing and merchandising officer, effective Jan. 1.(NEWSBITES)
December 21, 2005... CARTERET, N.J. -- Pathmark Stores on Thursday appointed Kenneth Martindale co-president and chief marketing and merchandising officer, effective Jan. 1. Martindale joins Frank Vitrano in the office of the president.

New York--A federal judge on Friday rejected a patent challenge to Pfizer's Lipitor.(NEWSBITES)
December 21, 2005... NEW YORK -- A federal judge on Friday rejected a patent challenge to Pfizer's Lipitor. The judge ruled that two patents protecting atorvastatin, the active ingredient in Lipitor, are valid. As a result, Pfizer will retain its marketing...

San Francisco--Customs agents have seized 52 shipments of counterfeit Tamiflu.(NEWSBITES)
December 21, 2005... SAN FRANCISCO -- Customs agents have seized 52 shipments of counterfeit Tamiflu. The packages contained capsules labeled as generic Tamiflu, but lacked Tamiflu's active ingredients. The shipments were sent by Asian suppliers to individuals...

Pleasanton, Calif.--Safeway last week forecast 2006 capital expenditures of about $1.6 billion as it completes 20 to 25 new stores and remodels about 280 stores.(NEWSBITES)
December 21, 2005... PLEASANTON, Calif. -- Safeway last week forecast 2006 capital expenditures of about $1.6 billion as it completes 20 to 25 new stores and remodels about 280 stores. The company also plans to "rapidly" roll out Lifestyle stores but did not give...

Grand Rapids, Mich.--Spartan Stores has agreed to buy D&W Food Centers for an unspecified sum.(NEWSBITES)
December 21, 2005... GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Spartan Stores has agreed to buy D&W Food Centers for an unspecified sum. The deal is set to close late in Spartan's fiscal 2006 or early in fiscal 2007.

Senate debates $5 billion Medicaid budget cuts.
December 21, 2005... WASHINGTON -- In a last-minute scramble early Monday morning to complete a budget before adjourning for the year, the U.S. House approved a joint House-Senate compromise on a Budget Reconciliation Bill that would cut some $5 billion in...

Rite Aid boosts Rx comps.(sales figures)(Brief Article)
December 21, 2005... CAMP HILL, Pa. -- Rite Aid's pharmacy comps are back in the black, the company reported Thursday. Pharmacy same-store sales were up slightly at 0.7 percent for the company's third quarter ended Nov. 26. A front-end same-store sales...

Walgreens' Eilers to retire.(George Eilers Sr. to retire)(Brief Article)
December 21, 2005... DEERFIELD, Ill. -- Walgreen Co. on Monday announced the retirement of George Eilers Sr., senior vice president of southern store operations, effective Jan. 11. Replacing him will be Kevin P. Walgreen, currently a vice president of store...

CVS' $4B bid in the lead.(for Albertsons Inc.'s drug stores)(Brief Article)
December 21, 2005... NEW YORK -- Albertsons is still working out details with CVS, which is in the lead to purchase the company's stand-alone drug stores for up to $4 billion of the overall purchase price, according to a report published last week. An investment...

New York--Merck is still 1-for-1 in Vioxx trials after its first federal trial ended in a hung jury and the judge declared it a mistrial on Monday.(NEWSBITES)(Brief Article)
December 14, 2005... NEW YORK -- Merck is still 1-for-1 in Vioxx trials after its first federal trial ended in a hung jury and the judge declared it a mistrial on Monday. Merck reportedly wants to retry the case in February. The next Vioxx liability trial in...

Gouverneur, N.Y.--Kinney Drugs announced that Bridget-ann Hart, senior vice president and chief operating officer, has been named to the board of trustees at the Albany College of Pharmacy.(NEWSBITES)(Brief Article)
December 14, 2005... Gouverneur, N.Y. -- Kinney Drugs announced that Bridget-ann Hart, senior vice president and chief operating officer, has been named to the board of trustees at the Albany College of Pharmacy. Hart is a 1980 graduate of the college and a...

San Francisco--Pay By Touch and NCR Corp. on Thursday announced an alliance that combines the companies' hardware and software in an effort to better support retailers' merchant and consumer biometric needs.(NEWSBITES)(Brief Article)
December 14, 2005... San Francisco -- Pay By Touch and NCR Corp. on Thursday announced an alliance that combines the companies' hardware and software in an effort to better support retailers' merchant and consumer biometric needs. Using NCR's biometric-enabled...

New York--the National Association of Chain Drug Stores announced yesterday that Brian Cornell, executive vice president and chief marketing officer of Safeway, and Craig Painter, president and chief executive officer of Kinney Drugs, have been named to the NACDS board of directors.(NEWSBITES)
December 14, 2005... NEW YORK -- The National Association of Chain Drug Stores announced yesterday that Brian Cornell, executive vice president and chief marketing officer of Safeway, and Craig Painter, president and chief executive officer of Kinney Drugs, have...

Walgreens, rite aid move ahead on RFID initiative.(Brief Article)
December 14, 2005... NEW YORK -- Two major drug chains in the last week have pushed ahead in the integration of radio frequency identification technology. First, Walgreens announced plans to add RFID display tracking systems to more than 5,000 stores. ...

NACDS to start Center for Advocacy and Public Affairs.(National Association of Chain Drug Stores)(Brief Article)
December 14, 2005... NEW YORK -- Addressing media at a roundtable discussion here last week, National Association of Chain Drug Stores president and chief executive officer Craig Fuller--who was joined by NACDS chairman Anthony Civello, also chairman, president...

Walgreens personalizes Part D benefit comparisons.(Brief Article)
December 14, 2005... DEERFIELD, Ill. -- Moving to ease its patients' concerns about a complex and confusing Medicare drug benefit program, Walgreen Co. has rolled out a new, computerized informational tool for Medicare recipients into all of its pharmacies. ...

Rite aid reaffirms store count.(Brief Article)
December 14, 2005... CAMP HILL, Pa. -- As reported in the Page One story of the July 11 issue of Drug Store News, Rite Aid reaffirmed that it will build 1,000 of its Customer World prototype stores by 2010. The chain opened its first two Customer World drug...

Study: diabetes control shaky.(Brief Article)
December 14, 2005... TAMPA, Fla. -- Data released Monday revealed that from 2003 to 2004, approximately two out of three people with type 2 diabetes in Tampa-St. Petersburg who were analyzed in a study were not in control of their blood sugar--failing to meet the...

W-D to emerge from Ch. 11.(Winn-Dixie Stores )(Brief Article)
December 14, 2005... JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Winn-Dixie Stores plans to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection by June of next year, the company announced Thursday. During the first quarter of 2006, the company implemented a major strategic restructuring...

Marsh financial chief resigns.(Marsh Supermarkets)(John Elbin )(Brief Article)
December 14, 2005... INDIANAPOLIS -- Marsh Supermarkets, which put itself up for sale last month, reported on Thursday its chief financial officer of seven months resigned over differences regarding the retailer's improvement plans. John Elbin resigned from...

Issaquah, Wash.--Costco Wholesale on Thursday reported net sales for the first quarter of fiscal year 2006 increased 12 percent to $12.66 billion. Same-store sales increased 9 percent.(FINANCIALS)
December 14, 2005... ISSAQUAH, Wash. -- Costco Wholesale on Thursday reported net sales for the first quarter of fiscal year 2006 increased 12 percent to $12.66 billion. Same-store sales increased 9 percent. Net income for the first-quarter of fiscal 2006...

Cincinnati--the Procter & Gamble Co. yesterday updated its previously announced sales guidance for the October to December quarter toward the top end of its forecast.(Brief Article)
December 14, 2005... Cincinnati -- The Procter & Gamble Co. yesterday updated its previously announced sales guidance for the October to December quarter toward the top end of its forecast, based on strong performance and lower-than-anticipated costs associated...

London--GlaxoSmith-Kline on Thursday announced the completion of the acquisition of ID Biomedical, a maker of influenza vaccine.(FINANCIALS)
December 14, 2005... LONDON -- GlaxoSmith-Kline on Thursday announced the completion of the acquisition of ID Biomedical, a maker of influenza vaccine. The financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. ID Biomedical provides GSK with a significant...

Charlotte, N.C.--Coca-Cola Consolidated has partnered with New York-based Brain-Twist to enter the ready-to-drink coffee beverage category.(NEWSBITES)
December 7, 2005... CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Coca-Cola Consolidated has partnered with New York-based Brain-Twist to enter the ready-to-drink coffee beverage category. Coca-Cola on Monday began selling a Cinnabon super-premium coffee drink in three flavors across the...

Chicago--after completing its successful pilot program, Information Resources Inc. and Costco Wholesale announced the full deployment of the Costco Collaborative Retail Exchange program across Costco's major food and non-food departments in the United States.(NEWSBITES)(Brief Article)
December 7, 2005... CHICAGO -- After completing its successful pilot program, Information Resources Inc. and Costco Wholesale announced the full deployment of the Costco Collaborative Retail Exchange program across Costco's major food and non-food departments in...

Princeton, N.J.--Pharmacists and druggists were ranked No. 2 in Gallup's annual poll to determine the most ethical professions.(NEWSBITES)
December 7, 2005... PRINCETON, N.J. -- Pharmacists and druggists were ranked No. 2 in Gallup's annual poll to determine the most ethical professions. The nursing profession topped the list for the fourth year in a row.

Bellevue, Wash.--the Healthprolink company name has been changed to Pharmacy OneSource, company officials announced Monday.(NEWSBITES)
December 7, 2005... BELLEVUE, Wash. -- The Healthprolink company name has been changed to Pharmacy OneSource, company officials announced Monday. Healthprolink is a provider of clinical documentation software, and Pharmacy OneSource is a provider of professional...

Summit focuses on retailer, supplier collaboration.
December 7, 2005... NEW YORK -- In an effort to help suppliers and retail chains work together to pursue the common goal of increasing market share, Drug Store News yesterday presented its 7th Annual Industry Issues Summit. The lively panel discussion--which...

Albertsons auction reportedly closed yesterday.(Brief Article)
December 7, 2005... BOISE, Idaho -- Albertsons could be close to deciding whether to sell itself to the highest bidder. According to a published report, the two-month-long auction for Albertsons closed yesterday, with high bids expected to be in the $16 billion...

Pharmacy leaders, NACDS hail new Medicare claims tool.(National Association of Chain Drug Stores)(Brief Article)
December 7, 2005... WASHINGTON -- Pharmacy groups are hailing Thursday's launch of an automated claims adjudication tool from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services that will allow pharmacists to identify Medicare beneficiaries' eligibility and billing...

WAG suspends pharmacists.(Walgreen Co.)(Brief Article)
December 7, 2005... ST. LOUIS -- One of four Illinois pharmacists Walgreens put on unpaid leave last week for refusing to fill emergency contraception prescriptions returned to work yesterday, according to published reports sourcing Walgreens. Three other...

A&P names marketing VP.(Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company Inc. appoints Jennifer MacLeod )(Brief Article)
December 7, 2005... MONTVALE, N.J. -- The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co. on Friday appointed Jennifer MacLeod to the new position of senior vice president of marketing and communications. Reporting directly to Eric Claus, president and chief executive...

Meijer president resigns.(Larry Zigerelli)(Brief Article)
December 7, 2005... GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- In the aftermath of president Larry Zigerelli's resignation from Meijer, the supercenter operator is reiterating that it is not involved in any deal with British retailer Tesco. When Zigerelli resigned suddenly...

Duane Reade opens clinic.(Duane Reade Holding Corp.)(Brief Article)
December 7, 2005... NEW YORK -- New York drug store chain Duane Reade announced today the opening of the first of a series of RediClinics. Duane Reade has partnered with InterFit Health, a provider of retail health screening services, to open the in-store...

New York--this past week, retailers reported November sales results.(FINANCIALS)
December 7, 2005... NEW YORK -- This past week, retailers reported November sales results. Below are some of the highlights for the chain drug industry.

Walgreens.(FINANCIALS)
December 7, 2005... Walgreens reported sales of $3.75 billion, an increase of 11.1 percent. Same-store sales rose 7.8 percent. Pharmacy sales increased 10.5 percent, and comparable pharmacy sales increased 7.7 percent.

CVS.(FINANCIALS)
December 7, 2005... CVS reported total sales increased 9.3 percent to $2.9 billion compared with the year-ago period. Same-store sales increased 7 percent over the prior-year period.

Rite Aid.(FINANCIALS)
December 7, 2005... Rite Aid reported same-store sales were up 2.6 percent. Total drug store sales for the five-week period increased 1.9 percent to $1.59 billion.

Longs Drug Stores.(FINANCIALS)
December 7, 2005... Longs Drug Stores reported total sales of $354.1 million, a 1.5 percent increase from the year-ago period. Same-store sales increased 1 percent from the year-ago period.

Wal-Mart Stores.(FINANCIALS)
December 7, 2005... Wal-Mart Stores (excluding Sam's Club and international operations) reported net sales of $17.4 billion, up 10.5 percent from the same period last year. Same-store sales were up 3.8 percent.

Target Corp.(FINANCIALS)
December 7, 2005... Target Corp. reported net sales from continuing operations (principally Target Stores) increased 9.1 percent to $4.58 billion compared with the year-ago period. Same-store sales increased 2.6 percent.