Drug Store News articles from July 2006

Drug Store News archives from July 2006

So far, so good: Walgreens rides Medicare Part D wave.(financial report)(Financial report)
July 17, 2006... DEERFIELD, Ill. -- Size matters. More precisely, scale and leverage matter in a ruthlessly competitive marketplace roiled by Medicare, new prescription business and cuts in Medicaid prescription reimbursements. Leveraging its massive...

3,800 shop NACDS Marketplace.(National Association of Chain Drug Stores)
July 17, 2006... SAN DIEGO -- The National Association of Chain Drug Stores held its annual Marketplace Conference here last month at the San Diego Convention Center. An exhibit and appointment-based show for both retail and manufacturing, senior management,...

Medicare Part D benefit puts huge consumer group into play.(Medicare beneficiaries)
July 17, 2006... CHICAGO -- The coming shift of 31 million baby boomers into the over-65 population and the sudden availability of drug coverage to 42.5 million Medicare beneficiaries has put one of the largest and most powerful consumer segments in history up...

Food Lion goes for makeover.(Food Lion Fresh Makeover Celebration)(Brief article)
July 17, 2006... SALISBURY, N.C. -- Food Lion is renovating 26 of its stores in Virginia, Maryland and West Virginia, promoting the new look with a campaign called "Food Lion's Fresh Makeover Celebration." The stores will feature more Products and emphasize...

Giant Eagle bows international format.(SUPERMARKET AISLE)(Brief article)
July 17, 2006... PITTSBURGH -- Giant Eagle has opened a new upscale Market District concept in two stores in Pittsburgh. The units feature an unusual concept, at least for U.S. retailers: an authentic Brazilian churrasco, where meat, seafood and vegetables are...

United aims at Hispanic market.(United Supermarkets Inc purchased two Hispanic stores from Brookshire Grocery)(Brief article)
July 17, 2006... LUBBOCK, Texas -- United Supermarkets has purchased two Hispanic stores from Brookshire Grocery in Wichita Falls, Texas, and reopened them last month under the Super Mercado banner. The stores will be gradually converted. They will offer...

Ahold to divest 46 Ohio Tops units.(SUPERMARKET AISLE)(Brief article)
July 17, 2006... AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands -- Ahold announced earlier this month its decision to divest 46 Tops supermarkets in Northeast Ohio. In a July 6 press release, the company explained that "this geographically separate region is no longer considered a...

Rite Aid holds optimistic view despite shortfall.(financial report of Rite Aid Corp)(Rite Aid Corp plans to open stores )
July 17, 2006... CAMP HILL, Pa. -- Rite Aid fell a few cents shy of earnings estimates for its latest first quarter ended June 3, at least according to one analyst s prediction, representing significant growing pains for the chain as it continues to ramp up me...

New product watch: innovation index.(News)(Table)
July 17, 2006... New product watch: Innovation index Each month, through an exclusive partnership with Hamacher Resource Group, Drug Store News presents an evaluation of top new product launches, based on an evaluation of key criteria (see below). ...

Medicine Shoppe International.(Cardinal Health company)(Brief article)
July 17, 2006... ST. LOUIS -- Medicine Shoppe International, a Cardinal Health company, has named Chrissy Ellegood manager of diabetes care for MSL Previously, Ellegood was market manager of programs for the St. Louis Chapter of the American Diabetes...

Kroger Co.(appointment of Ron Stewart as a president)(Brief article)
July 17, 2006... CINCINNATI -- The Kroger Co. has promoted Ron Stewart to president of Quik Stop Markets. In his new role, Stewart will oversee more than 100 Quik Stop convenience stores in California and Nevada. Stewart succeeds Van Tarver, who was...

StoneBridge Pharma.(sales and marketing for Glades Pharmaceuticals)(Brief article)
July 17, 2006... DULUTH, Ga. -- StoneBridge Pharma, which focuses on the sales and marketing of brand prescription products and medical devices for use in the areas of gastroenterology, ophthalmology and women s health, has named Robert "Bob" Sykora president,...

Fuji Photo Film.(appointment of Taizo Mori and Atsushi Yoneda)(Brief article)
July 17, 2006... VALHALLA, N.Y. -- Fuji Photo Film has announced that Taizo Mori has been named president and chief executive officer of Fuji Photo Film U.S.A. He succeeds Atsushi Yoneda, who will become senior adviser in order to ensure a smooth...

PepsiCo.(appointment of Albert Carey)(Brief article)
July 17, 2006... PURCHASE, N.Y. -- PepsiCo has named Albert "Al" Carey president and chief executive officer of the Frito-Lay North America division. Carey succeeds Irene Rosenfeld, who joined Kraft Foods as chief executive officer. At Kraft Foods,...

Costco Rx sales continue to rise.(Financial report)
July 17, 2006... ISSAQUAH, Wash. -- While Costco doesn't break out pharmacy numbers in its quarterly earnings reports, it appears that prescription sales continue to be a fast-growing piece of its business, with pharmacy sales for the nation s leading warehouse...

CVS, Hasbro make licensing news.(Licensing International 2006)(Brief article)
July 17, 2006... NEW YORK -- It will be another year before anyone knows if Licensing International 2006 gave birth to the next mega-hit licensed property, but the show produced plenty of news and a few new retail partnerships. The biggest deal announced...

J&J/Pfizer deal creates new global consumer-care powerhouse.(News)
July 17, 2006... WHITEHOUSE STATION, N.J. -- Johnson & Johnson walked away with the Pfizer Consumer Healthcare business last month for $16.6 billion cash. The deal placed the value of the Pfizer unit at approximately 4.3 times sales. Pfizer and J&J expect to...

DrSN bash rocks the House of Blues.(Drug Store News)(Brief article)
July 17, 2006... More than 1,000 Marketplace attendees grooved to the sounds of Atomic Groove at Drug Store News' annual bash. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Scott Pakula of Novartis, Bill Bergin of Rite Aid, Vic Mazzacone of Novartis and Jay Forbes of Drug...

For ABC, steady growth is as simple as a-b-c.(AmeriSource and Bergen Brunswig)
July 17, 2006... Since the merger of AmeriSource and Bergen Brunswig five years ago, the "new" company has grown quietly into a powerhouse health care distributor with more than 4,000 community pharmacies, a-state-of-the-art distribution network and a...

In trying times, Marketplace is still about the front end.(Opinion)
July 17, 2006... These are trying times for retail pharmacy. There is no denying that. NACDS chairman Tony Civello compares it to "staring down the twin barrels of a 12-gauge shotgun." The first barrel was loaded full of Medicare Part D, the introduction...

Novartis.(Exelon (rivastigmine tartrate))(Brief article)
July 17, 2006... Supplier News -- The Food and Drug Administration has approved the first drug to treat dementia from Parkinson's disease; Exelon (rivastigmine tartrate) from Novartis, will treat mild to moderate dementia associated with Parkinson's; it was...

Johnson & Johnson's.(Supplier News)(Brief article)
July 17, 2006... Johnson & Johnson's HIV drug Prezista has received approval from the FDA as a second-line therapy for treatment-resistant patients. Prezista was previously known as TMC114. It is the first drug developed by Tibotec, now a division of Johnson &...

Endo Pharmaceuticals.(immediate-release formulations )(Brief article)
July 17, 2006... The FDA has granted final approval to Endo Pharmaceuticals Opana ER and Opana tablets for extended--and immediate-release formulations of oxymorphone hydrochloride. The extended-release version is indicated to relieve moderate-to-severe pain in...

Ivax Pharmaceuticals.(Supplier News)(Brief article)
July 17, 2006... The FDA has approved the first generic version of Zocor (simvastatin) from Ivax Pharmaceuticals. Simvastatin is recommended to treat hypercholesterolemia (high cholesterol) when taken in conjunction with a diet of reduced saturated fat and...

Barr Pharmaceuticals.(Supplier News)
July 17, 2006... Barr Pharmaceuticals has announced that it will buy Croatian generics company Pliva for approximately $2.2 billion in cash. Barr believes the acquisition will facilitate its expansion into Europe and that Pliva will bring it capabilities in...

Reliant Pharmaceuticals.(Supplier News)(Brief article)
July 17, 2006... Americans can now get their recommended dose of omega-3 fatty acids through a prescription product. Omacor (omega-3-acid ethyl esters) from Reliant Pharmaceuticals is this first and only FDA-approved prescription omega-3 fatty acid product....

McKesson unveils bold plan for Health Mart franchise unit.
July 17, 2006... LAS VEGAS -- McKesson Corp. used its 2006 Pharmacy Strategies Conference and Trade Show here to launch a major initiative: an all-fronts campaign to grow its Health Mart franchise into the nation's largest independent pharmacy network. ...

HHS cites plan D success, but billing issues still rankle.(Chain Pharmacy)(Department of Health and Human Services)
July 17, 2006... WASHINGTON -- Calling it "a singularly American moment," the Department of Health abd Human Services is trumpeting what it describes as an "impressive" rollout of the Medicare Part D drug benefit program, while it vows to apply the hard lessons...

Pharmacy pay still on rise.(Pharmacy Compensation Survey)
July 17, 2006... Pay for pharmacy professionals is continuing to rise, according to a new survey from Mercer Human Resource Consulting. This is not surprising, being as the critical labor shortages from the past decade spawned a dramatic rise in demand for...

Walgreens again draws the line over low pharmacy reimbursement.(mail order pharmacies)
July 17, 2006... DEERFIELD, Ill. -- Proving once again that it is willing to hold a tough line on money-losing managed-care contracts, Walgreen Co. has stopped filling prescriptions for members of Midwest Health Plan. The decision, effective July 1, came after...

Aetna snubs Merck's Zocor rebate offer.(retain market share)(Brief article)
July 17, 2006... HARTFORD, Conn. -- The third largest health care provider, Aetna, has refused Merck's offer of rebates on its cholesterol drug Zocor, whose patent ran out last month. The drug maker offered discounts to counteract the arrival on the market of...

Grandfathered carbinoxamine comes under FDA scrutiny.(safety of Americans health)(Food and Drug Administration)
July 17, 2006... WASHINGTON -- The Food and Drug Administration is taking a stricter stance against unapproved drugs to ensure the safety of Americans health. It is beginning its investigations with prescription products containing the antihistamine...

Walgreens builds specialty Rx arsenal.(Food and Drug Administration)
July 17, 2006... DEERFIELD, Ill. -- Signaling clearly its intention to become a major player in the business of specialized pharmaceutical products and services, Walgreen Co. added to its portfolio of acquired specialty pharmacy operations in late June. ...

COPD remains top patient care concern.(Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)
July 17, 2006... SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- Many COPD patients are misdiagnosed or are not receiving adequate treatment, according to two recent studies from Northwestern University and Baystate Medical Center here. And that could a huge opportunity for pharmacists...

Kerr will launch program for treatment, education.(Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)(Brief article)
July 17, 2006... RALEIGH, N.C. -- Kerr Drug is joining the fight against COPD. Late this summer, the chain plans to launch a new program that will include spirometry screening in five stores and classroom education in three of them "that will help get the word...

Wholesaler group joins anti-drug counterfeiting, theft campaign.(Healthcare Distribution Management Association)
July 17, 2006... ARLINGTON, Va. -- The Healthcare Distribution Management Association has thrown its weight behind a long-running campaign to enhance supply-chain security and combat the theft and illegal trafficking of prescription medications. The group,...

LABA makers hope new study is full of hot air.(Food and Drug Administration)
July 17, 2006... Controversy has been raging about asthma drugs for over three years, and serious words are being breathed on the subject once more. Many of the most popular medications now on the market are coming under attack from the Food and Drug...

Nestle S.A.(Nestle S.A. acquired Jenny Craig)
July 17, 2006... Nestle S.A. last month acquired Jenny Craig, a company that offers weight-management solutions, for approximately $600 million. The acquisition further cements Nestle's position in nutrition, health and wellness. "Weight management will thus...

CV Technologies.(Brief article)
July 17, 2006... CV Technologies last month reached an agreement with former National Hockey League forward Mark Messier to act as an official spokesman for the COLD-fX brand, a natural immune-boosting supplement. According to the company, Messier will play an...

Similasan.(Brief article)
July 17, 2006... Similasan recently introduced Healthy Relief, a new brand of homeopathic cold and flu products formulated to reduce the duration and relieve symptoms of a cold or the flu. The new brand is comprised of three SKUs: Cold Reduce, Flu Reduce, and...

NBTY.(Supplier News)
July 17, 2006... NBTY has extended its best-selling Osteo Bi-Flex glucosamine and chondroitin brand with a triple-strength formula containing 5-loxin, a patent-pending ingredient that helps with joint flare-ups, called Osteo Bi-Flex Advanced Triple Strength...

Mason Vitamins.(Mason Vitamins acquired Ito En)(Brief article)
July 17, 2006... Mason Vitamins last month was acquired by New York-based Ito En. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Established in 1966, Ito En is a $2.6 billion corporation that manufactures and sells tea leaves and ready-to-drink beverages worldwide....

New legislation would supplement adverse-event reporting for nutritionals.(OTC/Natural Health)
July 17, 2006... A host of senators last month submitted a bill for consideration that would mandate the reporting of serious adverse events for supplement manufacturers. It's a welcome piece of legislation for many in the industry--including the Council for...

Lighting up family planning.(WHAT'S HOT)(Confirm Clearly)(Brief article)
July 17, 2006... Sexual-intimacy supplier Durex is looking to enter the more traditional family planning space with an innovative pregnancy test-kit called Confirm Clearly, which aims to make interpreting test results even easier than the electronic test...

Alberto-Culver Co.(beauty supplies distribution business)(Brief article)
July 17, 2006... Alberto-Culver Co. recently announced its intention to separate its consumer product business from its beauty supplies distribution business, Sally Beauty Co. The deal, which is subject to approvals, is expected to close in the fourth quarter....

Procter & Gamble.(Brief article)
July 17, 2006... Procter & Gamble is leveraging its Pantene equity and scale by promoting for 2006 its Pantene Pro-V Restoratives--Time Renewal and Pro-V Ice Shine. Restoratives--Time Renewal is positioned as a premium line of products that repair hair...

Jane & Co. LLC.(appointment of Dominick Vitris )(Brief article)
July 17, 2006... Jane & Co. LLC announced the promotion of Dominick Vitris to senior vice president of sales. Previously, Vitris served as vice president of sales. As previously reported, Jane & Co. announced a new equity partnership with Stone Canyon...

Jordana Cosmetics.(Outstanding Merchandising Achievement award )(Brief article)
July 17, 2006... Jordana Cosmetics, a family-owned brand that appeals to a multicultural audience, took home the Outstanding Merchandising Achievement award at this year's Point of Purchase Advertising Institute Global Shop in Orlando, Fla. The angled...

Mass market retailers are basking in sunless tanning, sun protection sales.(new SunSure Technology)
July 17, 2006... The sun care market is far from one-size-fits-all, as product innovation increasingly has given way to an array of products designed not only for different parts of the body, but that do more than just protect from the sun s harmful rays. ...

Offering face value.(natural glow Daily Moisturizer)(Brief article)
July 17, 2006... Looking to leverage the popularity of its Jergens natural glow Daily Body Moisturizer, KAO Brands has created for 2006 its natural glow Daily Moisturizer for the face. When Jergens natural glow Daily Body Moisturizer hit the market in...

Warner Home Video.(Blue Collar TV: The Complete Second Season)(Brief article)
July 17, 2006... Warner Home Video will launch, "Blue Collar TV: The Complete Second Season' on DVD Aug. 1. The two-disc set features all 13 episodes of the comedy series with Jeff Foxworthy, Bill Engvall and Larry the Cable Guy in a variety of TV parodies,...

Sax Media Group.(Story Watchers Club Adventures in Storytelling: Christmas)(Brief article)
July 17, 2006... Sax Media Group will launch "Story Watchers Club Adventures in Storytelling: Christmas" DVD this fall as part of its Story Watchers Club series geared toward children ages 4 to 10. The DVD series, which is produced by Charlotte and Eddie Sax,...

Xela.(Brief article)
July 17, 2006... Xela offers Aromasticks, an array of practical and fragrant gift ideas for any consumer. The aromatherapeutic reed dif fusers, once lit, release one of 10 calming scents ranging from an enriching creme brulee to a musky woods fragrance. ...

Fox Home Entertainment.(The Sentinel)(Brief article)
July 17, 2006... Fox Home Entertainment will release "The Sentinel" on DVD Aug. 28 featuring Michael Douglas, Keifer Sutherland and Eva Longoria in an action thriller about a terrorist plot to infiltrate the White House with a disavowed Secret Service agent...

New Kiosk technology serves to broaden retailers' reach.(General Merchandise)
July 17, 2006... Kiosks have been popping up along the retail landscape for years, but with its technology now increasing at full speed, allowing consumers to do everything from previewing CDs to making electronic donations in church lobbies, retailers are...

Board games go high-tech.(Toy makes AtmosFear)(Brief article)
July 17, 2006... Board games are no longer just that. Now, they are the latest accessories to DVD games, as well. For example, SGB/b EQUAL introduced a new licensed DVD board game this year based on NASCAR. Featuring a short and long track on a double-sided...

Brown & Haley.(Roca buttercrunch toffee)(Brief article)
July 17, 2006... Brown & Haley added to its Roca buttercrunch toffee line this spring when it introduced its fifth flavor, Honey Roasted Peanut Roca. The company's first "sweet & salty sensation is a combination of honey roasted peanuts mixed into buttercrunch...

Kellogg Co.(Keebler Toasteds Line)(Brief article)
July 17, 2006... Kellogg Co. is jumping on the natural foods bandwagon and adding a new organic product to its Keebler Toasteds Line. Organic Harvest Wheat Crackers hit the shelves nationwide late this month. Kellogg officials said that with the growing natural...

Jack Link's Beef Jerky.(Jack Link's meat snacks)(Brief article)
July 17, 2006... Jack Link's Beef Jerky has launched its "Messin' With Sasquatch" TV ad campaign that lets consumers experience the freedom, fun and enthusiasm associated with Jack Link's meat snacks. Hikers in the commercials play practical jokes on the...

Edy's.(chocolate-coated bites of ice cream )(Brief article)
July 17, 2006... Edy's has added five flavors to its Dibs line of chocolate-coated bites of ice cream introduced last June. The new flavors are caramel, cookies 'n cream, peant butter, strawberry and toffee almond. Other flavors include chocolate, mint,...

McCormick & Co.(McCormick and Co. acquired Epicurean International)(Brief article)
July 17, 2006... McCormick & Co. recently acquired Epicurean International, parent company of the Thai Kitchen and Simply Asia brands. Thai Kitchen introduced the first Pad Thai meal kit nationwide in 1990 and was the first to launch Rice Noodle Bowls and...

Alternative choices shake up soft drinks as suppliers add premium options.(consumer preferences)
July 17, 2006... Competition in alternative beverages is becoming more intense as traditional producers, including Coca-Cola, Pepsi and Cadbury-Schweppes, move beyond collecting product portfolios to developing innovative products that build on the latest...

Calories crumble out of cookies.(Childhood obesity)(Brief article)
July 17, 2006... Given all the talk about nutrition and obesity, what's a cookie to do? High-calorie cookies aren't going away, but certainly vendors are betting that a more healthful cookie will add new sales. Cookie sales were on the slide early in this...

Five years on: streamlined and market-focused, a drug distribution giant emerges.(rankings)(Company overview)
July 17, 2006... Five years after the merger of AmeriSource Health and Bergen Brunswig, the drug distribution and health services giant that has emerged is still expanding the boundaries of traditional wholesaling as it helps its independent and small-chain...

Trent deal opens door for big move into Canada.(company overview)(Company overview)(Brief article)
July 17, 2006... For an investment of roughly $83 million last fall, AmerisourceBergen gained a strong entry into another country and a significant new expansion opportunity. That's the price ABC paid to acquire Trent Drugs, one of the largest national...

More unified approach drives marketing and merchandising.(company overview)(Company overview)
July 17, 2006... Under a broad initiative it calls "Transform," AmerisourceBergen is driving a major change in the way it approaches its retail pharmacy customer base of more than 4,000 operators--and how it services those customers. Said Terry Haas, corporate...

Indies, small chains are primary focus for growth.(company overview )(Company overview)
July 17, 2006... There will AmerisourceBergen's future growth come from? "I think it's mostly going to come from independent operators and regional chains," said chief executive R. David Yost. "That's our focus, and we're comfortable there. "I've been in...

Corporate culture keeps close to customer needs.(company overview)(Company overview)
July 17, 2006... If anything defines the culture that governs AmerisourceBergen, it's an almost obsessive determination to get close to its customers. The company is built from the marriage of two wholesale giants with deeply rooted connections to pharmacy...

Strong balance sheet bears out bullishness.(financial reports)(Financial report)
July 17, 2006... AmerisourceBergen. It's a company that currently is carrying more cash in the bank than it has debt on its ledger books, operating in an industry that's currently more bullish about its future than its strong present. That's where...

Good Neighbor Pharmacy leads retail mission.(market shares)
July 17, 2006... As one of the nation's most indispensable drug distribution and health care services companies, AmerisourceBergen supplies and services more than 4,000 retail pharmacies throughout the United States and Canada. Its sprawling customer base...

New initiatives aim to 'Optimiz' supply chain.(DISTRIBUTION)
July 17, 2006... It was a little more than four years ago that the No. 3 and No. 4 largest pharmaceutical distributors merged into what has become AmerisourceBergen. At the time of the merger, there were some 51 distribution centers located across the United...

Greenfield DCs assure capacity as scripts boom.(distribution centers)
July 17, 2006... BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- The last of AmerisourceBergen's six state-of-the-art, super-sized Greenfield pharmaceutical distribution centers opened its doors for the first time last month. The Greenfield DCs, all less than two years old, are...

Indies' focus on service turns Part D into advantage.(usage of medicare part D)
July 17, 2006... When the Medicare Part D drug benefit program exploded chaotically into being in January, it thrust the nation's senior population into a new and highly competitive managed care arena. The rollout of Part D spawned a competitive free-for-all...