Drug Store News articles from September 2008

Drug Store News archives from September 2008

Longs deal makes CVS king of Calif.(NEWS & ANALYSIS)
September 8, 2008... WOONSOCKET, R.I. -- CVS Caremark's planned acquisition of Longs Drug Stores opens the door for CVS Caremark to become the king of California, with 830 stores in the state (excluding store closures). As a whole, CVS/pharmacy, the store division,...

Education Congress surpasses expectations.(NEWS & ANALYSIS)(Awards list)
September 8, 2008... ORLANDO, Fla. -- Retail Clinician, a publication of the Drug Store News Group, in conjunction with the Convenient Care Association, hit a major milestone in August as it held here the Inaugural Retail Clinician Education Congress--a highly...

Mastrian, master merchant, hangs 'em up.(NEWS & ANALYSIS)
September 8, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] CAMP HILL, Pa. -- Jim Mastrian finished his last lap in style. Rite Aid's special adviser of corporate strategy, who retired Aug. 31, after more than 40 years of service to the retail pharmacy industry, attended his...

NACDS: make-or-break time for pharmacy.(NEWS & ANALYSIS)
September 8, 2008... SAN DIEGO -- It's "a make-or-break time" for retail pharmacy and its product and service suppliers. That was the warning issued Aug. 24 by National Association of Chain Drug Stores chairman Warren Bryant, who opened the 2008 NACDS Pharmacy...

Working together in New Ways.(Q&A)(Interview)
September 8, 2008... Drug Store News recently interviewed Wegman's Marianne Timmons and Coca-Cola's Ann Dozier, vice president of collaborative customer capabilities of North America retail sales, and Andrew Dragonetti, account executive, to talk about how to...

Judge freezes Medi-Cal cuts.(NEWS & ANALYSIS)
September 8, 2008... LOS ANGELES -- A federal district court here has stanched the bleeding at many pharmacies in the Golden State by ordering the state to halt a 10-percent cut in Medi-Cal payments to healthcare providers. Ruling in favor of professional and...

Industry leaders praise Mastrian as leader, mentor and industry stalwart.(NEWS & ANALYSIS)
September 8, 2008... Drug Store News talked to a number of retailers and suppliers about the impact of Jim Mastrian, who retired last month as Rite Aid special adviser of corporate strategy. Here's some of what they had to say: Mary Sammons, chairman, president...

Hawaii to keep 'homegrown' Longs name.(NEWS & ANALYSIS)(Brief article)
September 8, 2008... HONOLULU -- Assuming the CVS acquisition goes through as planned later this year, Longs Drug will disappear from the retail landscape in California after a 70-year run, but that won't be the case in Hawaii. "We will leave the Hawaiian...

CVS plans to launch full-scale beauty centers this year.(NEWS & ANALYSIS)
September 8, 2008... WOONSOCKET, R.I. -- CVS/pharmacy has, over the years, taken an innovative approach to beauty to position itself as a beauty destination, and now the retailer is raising the bar even higher by piloting a new concept store called Beauty 360. ...

The Dutch-based company, Ahold, which operates both Giant Food and Stop & Shop grocery chains, announced last month that it would redesign the chains' logos and introduce new in-store features and technologies, including a handheld scanning device that allows customers to scan and bag while they shop, stations in the produce department for pricing and bagging and ordering kiosks in the deli section.(IN THE NEWS)(Brief article)
September 8, 2008... The Dutch-based company, Ahold, which operates both Giant Food and Stop & Shop grocery chains, announced last month that it would redesign the chains' logos and introduce new in-store features and technologies, including a handheld scanning...

My Healthy Access and NuPhysicia partnered to open the "Walk-In Telemedicine Health Care" clinic in the Wal-Mart Supercenter in Pearland, Texas.(IN THE NEWS)(Brief article)
September 8, 2008... My Healthy Access and NuPhysicia partnered to open the "Walk-In Telemedicine Health Care" clinic in the Wal-Mart Supercenter in Pearland, Texas. The service operated by NuPhysicia, enables physicians to serve patients remotely using...

MediGo.(IN THE NEWS)(Brief article)
September 8, 2008... MediGo, a division of Samoho Healthcare, an international company headquartered in Mexico, has opened physician-staffed, walk-in clinics inside three Miami-Dade Navarro Discount Pharmacies. The clinics, MediGo Express Medical Care, are part...

MediMin.(IN THE NEWS)(Brief article)
September 8, 2008... MediMin has completed a long-term contract with grocer Bashas' to open retail-based clinics within its Basha's, Food City and Ike's Marketplace stores. Bashas' is the second largest grocery chain in Arizona with more than 160 locations. ...

Cardinal mulls spinoff of medical, clinical units.(NEWS & ANALYSIS)
September 8, 2008... DUBLIN, Ohio -- Maybe being a $90 billion wholesale and health services behemoth isn't always the best way to serve and profit from the healthcare market. Cardinal Health has taken a good, long look in the mirror, and what it sees is a...

Giant launches new Rx program.(NEWS & ANALYSIS)(Brief article)
September 8, 2008... LANDOVER, Md. -- Giant Food last month announced a new pharmacy program to help entice consumers to fill their prescriptions at the grocery retailer--5 percent off their next grocery order whenever they purchase five prescriptions using their...

Discount Drug Mart sells PBM business.(NEWS & ANALYSIS)(Brief article)
September 8, 2008... ROCKVILLE, Md. -- HealthExtras, a pharmacy benefit management company, last month acquired Discount Drug Mart's PBM, Immediate Pharmaceutical Services, for $40 million. "[Immediate Pharmaceutical Services] represents a profitable,...

On the eve of Rx's finest hour?(OPINION)
September 8, 2008... A little more than 60 days to go before America decides who next should lead it, and, in the words of the great Winston Churchill, this quite possibly could be community pharmacy's finest hour: the key words, of course, are "could be." That's...

Correction.(OPINION)(Correction notice)
September 8, 2008... A chart in the Aug. 18 issue of Drug Store News that appeared with a story on the leading retail clinic operators in America (page 87), mistakenly lists Aurora QuickCare as operating only nine clinic locations. It, in fact, operates 19 clinics...

Post-Eckerd turnaround exceeds expectations.(Annual Report: RITE AID[R])(Financial report)
September 8, 2008... Rite Aid began posting same-store sales results across its acquired Brooks/Eckerd store base in June, and already the chain is painting a more rosy picture. Rite Aid's July comp results were well ahead of several analyst expectations, including...

Rebranding builds sales growth.(Annual Report: RITE AID[R])(Financial report)
September 8, 2008... Rite Aid is fast approaching the completion of assimilating its Brooks/Eckerd acquisition of last year. By October, the chain expects to have completed the last of its minor remodels, rebranding all of its acquired stores as Rite Aid inside and...

Refinancing provides flexibility for growing chain.(Annual Report: RITE AID[R])(Financial report)
September 8, 2008... In July, Rite Aid completed another round of debt refinancing, which included issuing new debt, in a move that provides greater flexibility for the chain as it nears completion of the conversion of the Brooks/Eckerd stores, especially given the...

Rite Aid hopes new promotions 'fuel' Rx growth.(Annual Report: RITE AID[R])
September 8, 2008... Across a national drug retailing landscape where just filling a prescription increasingly is becoming a commodity, Rite Aid in the past few months, has implemented a number of programs designed to capture a greater share of scripts. The...

CVS/Longs deal won't deter Rite Aid's West Coast plans.(Annual Report: RITE AID[R])(Brief article)
September 8, 2008... CVS Caremark's acquisition of Longs Drug Stores last month certainly places increased pressure on Rite Aid's West Coast operations. The new CVS California footprint catapults that chain ahead of Rite Aid as the biggest drug store chain in the...

GNC partnership supplements strong front end.(Annual Report: RITE AID[R])
September 8, 2008... One of the bigger drivers--and differentiators--behind Rite Aid's front-end performance is the chain's partnership with Pittsburgh-based specialty retailer GNC. Rite Aid currently operates more than 1,600 GNC store-within-a-store locations,...

Charity events clean up for sick children and families.(Annual Report: RITE AID[R])(Brief article)
September 8, 2008... Rite Aid's brass this summer traded their suits and ties for jeans and T-shirts for the company's ninth annual Rite Aid Car Wash event--where executives washed associates' cars to help benefit the Penn State Children's Hospital. Other...

SouVez sponsorship builds outreach to new moms.(Annual Report: RITE AID[R])(Brief article)
September 8, 2008... Rite Aid has set its sights on an important customer segment: new mothers. The No. 3 drug chain earlier this year became a pre-launch sponsor of SouVez, a New York-based marketing communications firm specializing in health care and multiethnic...

Partnerships keep retail clinic business healthy, growing.(Annual Report: RITE AID[R])
September 8, 2008... While Rite Aid doesn't own a retail clinic operator, the chain still embraces the concept on a partner-by-partner / region-by-region basis. Most recently, Rite Aid opened four MedStar PromptCare clinics in Baltimore and Washington this past...

Family caregivers get support from advocacy groups.(Caregiver: CLOSE UP)
September 8, 2008... Caregiver advocacy groups are charging ahead with a range of initiatives to improve the quality of life of family caregivers and generate national awareness of their needs. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Rosalynn Carter Institute for...

Pharmacy pay renews surge.(CHAIN PHARMACY)(Survey)
September 8, 2008... NEW YORK -- When it comes to operating retail pharmacies, pharmacists are still in the driver's seat. The pay rate for pharmacists continues to surge beyond the six-figure threshold, according to the 2008 Pharmacy Compensation Survey from...

American Pharmacists Association.(Supplier News)(Brief article)
September 8, 2008... The American Pharmacists Association has chosen pharmacy educator Harold Godwin as its president-elect. Godwin, professor of pharmacy practice and associate dean at the University of Kansas School of Pharmacy for Clinical and Medical Center...

Genentech.(Supplier News)(Brief article)
September 8, 2008... Genentech recently rejected Roche's takeover bid. A committee of Genentech's board of directors said Roche's $89-per-share offer for the remaining stake in the company it doesn't already own "substantially undervalues" it. Roche acquired a...

Teva.(Supplier News)(Brief article)
September 8, 2008... Teva has settled a case against Dr. Reddy's concerning its patent on carvedilol, the active Ingredient In GlaxoSmithKline's heart drug Coreg. Teva started filing suits last June to protect its '997, '184, '942 and '008 patents relating to...

Specialty Rx: a bright spot in a slowing market.(CHAIN PHARMACY)(Financial report)
September 8, 2008... With total U.S. pharmaceutical sales rising just 3.8 percent last year, bio-engineered and highly specialized medicines costing tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars a year are the bright spot in a slowing market for branded drugs. And drug...

Hadfield Pharmacy sweetens compounded prescriptions.(CHAIN PHARMACY)
September 8, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] EDMONDS, Wash. -- At almost 5,000 square feet, Hadfield Pharmacy has space for just about everything. But what this 39-year-old store specializes in is compounding. This comprises 2 percent to 3 percent of...

Cough-cold switch products add to category sales.(OVER THE COUNTER)
September 8, 2008... Rx-to-OTC switched products still dominate the cough-cold and allergy categories. A recent report on the category from Mintel International revealed that recent Rx-to-OTC switches in the allergy category did not cannibalize sales of existing...

Crash and burn: fake claims cost Airborne $30m.(OVER THE COUNTER)
September 8, 2008... WASHINGTON -- The popular cough-cold product Airborne, a sales success story attributed to a mention on Oprah, was hit with a judgment totaling $30 million last month, potentially payable to the Federal Trade Commission, for making...

CRN sets record straight on DHEA.(OVER THE COUNTER)(Council for Responsible Nutrition)(Brief article)
September 8, 2008... NEW YORK -- The Council for Responsible Nutrition has stepped in to combat confusion of dietary supplements with anabolic steroids. In January, Major League Baseball Players Association executive director Donald Fehr made remarks before...

Full Bar fills the stomach.(WHAT'S HOT)(Brief article)
September 8, 2008... HOWELL, Mich. -- Full Bar recently introduced a new meal replacement bar that may become a legitimate cross-over product effectively bridging the gap between meal replacement bars (diet bars) and diet aid tablets. That's because it's not a...

Correction.(OVER THE COUNTER)(Correction notice)
September 8, 2008... In the June 23 issue of Drug Store News, the story "Probiotic Align ready to upset digestives category," (p. 24) noted that "Align's probiotic ingredient is bifidus regularis...." The probiotic strain found in Align is, in fact, Bifidobacterium...

Brand awareness low with retail clinicians.(OVER THE COUNTER)(Survey)
September 8, 2008... Whether it is the autonomy, providing convenient affordable health care to patients, having more flexible hours--or all of the above job satisfaction among healthcare practitioners working in retail-based health clinics remains extremely high,...

ECRM Health Care products feature pain relief, eye care.(OVER THE COUNTER)
September 8, 2008... CHANDLER, Ariz. -- Outside, the temperature crested over 100 degrees at the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort and Spa. Inside, things were heating up as well, as more than 85 retailers were picking up on the latest incremental sales opportunities...

Nielsen Online.(Supplier News)(Survey)
September 8, 2008... A majority of Internet users have visited Web sites for healthcare information, according to a Nielsen Online survey released Tuesday. The survey, which fielded questions to 1,000 people during the second three months of this year, found...

American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.(Supplier News)(Brief article)
September 8, 2008... Global climate change is believed to be making ragweed season worse for allergy sufferers, according to a report released by the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. Recent studies suggest that increasing temperatures and...

Digestives in line for added competition.(OVER THE COUNTER)(Brief article)
September 8, 2008... NEW YORK -- After an initial test run at Wal-Mart stores nationwide starting in the fourth quarter of last year, Matrixx Initiatives' antacid Xcid may hit other retailers' shelves next year, according to a July 24 conference call between...

The Kansas Bureau of Investigation and the Kansas State Board of Pharmacy last month partnered with independent druggist Dandurand, among others on a pilot program designed to help combat methamphetamine through MethShield, a real-time, Web-based tool that enables pharmacists, retailers and law enforcement officials to track the sale of medications that can be diverted to create methamphetamine.(Supplier News)
September 8, 2008... The Kansas Bureau of Investigation and the Kansas State Board of Pharmacy last month partnered with independent druggist Dandurand, among others on a pilot program designed to help combat methamphetamine through MethShield, a real-time,...

Lansinoh Laboratories.(Supplier News)(Brief article)
September 8, 2008... Lansinoh Laboratories last month introduced a new Lansinoh diaper rash ointment, which contains Lansinoh's HPA Lanolin, and is fragrance free, hypoallergenic and has a nongreasy texture that goes on white and rubs in clean "A few years...

Heritage Labs.(Supplier News)(Brief article)
September 8, 2008... Heritage Labs, a division of Hooper Holmes, last month introduced the Appraise Home Alc Kit, a new at-home test kit that measures average blood glucose levels over a longer period of time. "The home testing market has significantly expanded...

Bayer Diabetes Care.(Supplier News)(Brief article)
September 8, 2008... Bayer Diabetes Care in August announced that it is providing The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People with Diabetes workbook, authored by Dr. Stephen Covey, as well as a companion guide, to healthcare professionals and forming a new partnership...

Forecast sees lower bath, body sales.(BEAUTY CARE)
September 8, 2008... The bath and body care market at mass has, in recent years, felt the impact of such specialty retailers as Bath & Body Works but mass-market manufacturers have remained at the forefront, working to bring beauty shoppers the latest in product...

DermWorx.(Supplier News)(Brief article)
September 8, 2008... DermWorx is promoting its new AcneWorx adult acne treatment. The product is specifically formulated for dry and mature skin. According to the company, the salicylic acid treatment reduces acne breakout within eight hours. It also helps stop new...

Revlon.(Supplier News)(appointment of Tamara Mellon)(Brief article)
September 8, 2008... Revlon's board of directors has elected Tamara Mellon, president and founder of Jimmy Choo, as a new director. The election of Mellon increases the size of Revlon's board to 10 members and increases the number of independent directors to seven...

Reliant Technologies.(Supplier News)(Brief article)
September 8, 2008... Reliant Technologies, a developer of the Fraxel laser systems, has reached an agreement with Philips to develop skin care technologies for use in the home. According to the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, laser skin...

Safety guidelines amended for fragrances.(BEAUTY CARE)(International Fragrance Association)(Brief article)
September 8, 2008... SWITZERLAND -- The International Fragrance Association, which represents the fragrance creation houses and manufacturers of fragrance ingredients and promotes the safe use of fragrances worldwide, recently amended fragrance safety standards....

DenTek cream relieves jaw pain.(WHAT'S HOT)(Brief article)
September 8, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] MAYVILLE, Tenn. -- Oral care company DenTek is looking to help the estimated 45 million Americans suffering from jaw pain with its new Jaw Pain Relief Cream. The topical cream, which is formulated to treat jaw...

Organic body products see bountiful growth.(ECRM[R]: Personal Care, Oral & Baby Care)
September 8, 2008... This proved to be a defining year for the natural and organic personal care segment as groups have joined forces to push for the creation and adoption of natural and organic standards. These efforts are spelling big changes for the industry and...

Retailers expand premium body care.(ECRM[R]: Personal Care, Oral & Baby Care)(Brief article)
September 8, 2008... Aside from manufacturers rolling out new natural or organic products, retailers are increasingly zeroing in on he trend with exclusive offerings or, as is the case with Whole Foods, establishing standards of their own. In response to...

Three trends you must know.(ECRM[R]: Personal Care, Oral & Baby Care)(Brief article)
September 8, 2008... 1 Given the maturity of the oral care segment and the weak economy, those oral care products that offer added benefits and convenience are predicted to be key growth drivers. This trend is already taking shape with such launches as Procter &...

Snack category innovations help carry sales.(CONSUMABLES)
September 8, 2008... Higher costs will no doubt affect snack sales this year, but industry experts said there's still market potential for innovative new products and healthy offerings. "There have been a lot of successful new introductions," said Sheila...

Hershey hikes prices, blames commodities.(CONSUMABLES)(Brief article)
September 8, 2008... LOS ANGELES -- Hershey Co. has said that it will raise prices of its U.S. goods by about 10 percent, due to surging costs of commodity foods. The news comes as the company continues to fall short of quarterly projections. "Consumers are...

Say baked cheese puffs.(WHAT'S HOT)(Michael Season)(Brief article)
September 8, 2008... ADDISON, Ill. -- Baked salty snacks have long been the rage with the healthy lifestyle crowd, and snack maker Michael Season--creator of the popular Kettle Cooked Potato Chips line has caught on creating a line of flavored cheese pops, puffs...

Procter & Gamble.(Supplier News)(Brief article)
September 8, 2008... Procter & Gamble in August said that it has reduced the weight of Folgers coffee canisters from 13 ounces down to 11.3 ounces as part of the company's move to more green coffee production. The lower weight canisters are already on retailers'...

PepsiCo.(Supplier News)(Brief article)
September 8, 2008... PepsiCo has announced that its beverage Sobe Life will contain the zero-calorie, all-nab ural sweetener, PureVia, a flavor enhancer extracted from the stevia plant. The newly enhanced Sobe Life will debut in Peru. The maker of PureVia has said...

Grocery Manufacturers Association.(Supplier News)(Brief article)
September 8, 2008... A study released by the Grocery Manufacturers Association called "Powering Growth Through Direct Store Delivery" showed that 77 percent of retailers who use direct store delivery to get goods to their consumers reported that they expect their...

Drug stores push for back-to-school shoppers.(GENERAL MERCHANDISE)
September 8, 2008... High gas prices and inflation are putting a strain on family budgets, and most analysts are expecting a sub-par back-to-school shopping season. And that's why pharmacy retailers are putting more emphasis on promotions with sharp price...

Steady stream of summer hits arriving on DVD.(GENERAL MERCHANDISE)(Digital video disk drives)(Brief article)
September 8, 2008... LOS ANGELES -- Now that the summer movie season is over, retailers can expect a steady stream of hit DVD titles starting later this month and through the holidays. The first big summer hit--"Iron Man"--will arrive in stores Sept. 30 in a...

Spell it out: novelty pens a hit.(WHAT'S HOT)(Brief article)
September 8, 2008... ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Novelty pens have been part of the back-to-school mix since the days of the mop-topped Trollz pens, and 2008 is no exception. The biggest hit this fag have been Kooky Klickers, a line of ergonomically designed pens that come...

Kodak Gallery.(Supplier News)(Brief article)
September 8, 2008... Kodak Gallery has signed a deal with Eric Carle giving it exclusive rights to use his designs for a line of personal photo books, photo invitations and photo cards. The deal allows Kodak Gallery customers to combine their photos with...

Sara Lee.(Supplier News)(Brief article)
September 8, 2008... Sara Lee has added a new fragrance-free, hypoallergenic Endust spray to its line of aerosol cleaners. Endust Free debuted in August and will be in all retailers by the end of September. The new product features a sleeker, curvier can,...

Energizer.(Supplier News)(Brief article)
September 8, 2008... Energizer in August introduced its new line of advanced lithium batteries that can power portable devices for up to 20 hours longer than regular batteries. The new AA and AAA batteries are designed for such high-drain devices as MP3 players,...

TRICARE 'buy-laws' could be boon for Rx.(NEWS & ANALYSIS)(National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Years 2008)
September 22, 2008... WASHINGTON -- The deadline for telling Uncle Sam how the TRICARE military health program should spend its prescription dollars is fast approaching. Passage early this year of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008...

Rite Aid brings can-do attitude to Brooks/Eckerd conversion.(NEWS & ANALYSIS)
September 22, 2008... BALTIMORE -- The last time Rite Aid rallied its pharmacists and store associates around a "there's-hard-work-ahead-but-we-can-do-it" message, the chain took its first step back onto the path to sustainable profitability. That trek not...

Pharmacies bind communities as storms test industry's mettle.(NEWS & ANALYSIS)
September 22, 2008... NEW ORLEANS -- The names sound as benign as a list of family members: Fay, Gustav, Hanna, Ike. But for many Americans living in a huge swath of the coastal United States running from Texas and Louisiana, across to Florida and up through the...

Working together in new ways: Mindy Thompson-Sherwood, P&G: Jeff Bornino, Kroger.(Q&A)(Interview)
September 22, 2008... In this, the final installment of a three-part look at how leading retailers and suppliers are implementing key findings of the Global Commerce Initiative, "New Ways of Working Together," a white paper that redefined the rules for how...

CVS/Longs deal moves closer to closed on antitrust clearance.(NEWS & ANALYSIS)(deal between CVS Caremark Corp. and Longs Drug Stores Corp.)
September 22, 2008... WOONSOCKET, R.I., and WALNUT CREEK, Calif. -- CVS Caremark's acquisition of Longs Drug Stores looks to be one step closer to being closed, as the deal appeared to clear antitrust hurdles earlier this month, and Longs management agreed to settle...

Proposed cigarette-sale ban burns Beantown drug store operators.(NEWS & ANALYSIS)
September 22, 2008... BOSTON -- Last month, San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom signed into law an ordinance to ban the city's retail pharmacies from selling tobacco products. Soon after, health officials in neighboring Marin County announced they planned a...

Tenn. health officials study A-B-Cs of school clinics.(NEWS & ANALYSIS)(Brief article)
September 22, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] MAYNARDVILLE, Tenn. -- The convenient care clinic model continues to evolve with the recent opening of a clinic within the halls of Maynardville Elementary School in Union County, Tenn., as part of a pilot program...

Harry and Louise are back, this time for healthcare reform.(NEWS & ANALYSIS)(Brief article)
September 22, 2008... WASHINGTON -- Remember Harry and Louse, that iconic fictional couple who helped derail the Clinton administration's attempt to reform the healthcare system and expand coverage to all Americans? They're back. And this time, in an election-year...

MinuteClinic eyes first Mass. openings.(NEWS & ANALYSIS)(CVS Caremark Corp. opens clinics in Massachusetts)(Brief article)
September 22, 2008... BOSTON -- MinuteClinic, which is owned by CVS Caremark, is about a month away from opening the first retail-based convenient care clinic in Massachusetts. The opening of the state's first retail-based clinic is significant given the...

Pharmacist featured in Alli TV ads.(NEWS & ANALYSIS)(CVS Caremark Corp. appoints Cheryl Hatvigsen)(Brief article)
September 22, 2008... COLUMBIA, S.C.- Cheryl Hatvigsen, pharmacist for South Carolina independent drug chain Long's Drugs with nine pharmacies--no relation to the West Coast chain, soon to be an official part of CVS/Caremark--not only recommends the use of...

FDA lists drugs under scrutiny for safety.(NEWS & ANALYSIS)(Food and Drug Administration)(Brief article)
September 22, 2008... WASHINGTON -- The Food and Drug Administration has released a list of 20 drugs under review for possible safety issues, including Cymbalta (duloxetine HC1), from Eli Lilly, with U.S. sales of $1.84 billion in 2007 and Tysabri (natalizumab),...

Rite Aid to launch OTC site with Drugstore.com.(NEWS & ANALYSIS)(Rite Aid Corp.)(over the counter)
September 22, 2008... BELLEVUE, Wash. -- Rite Aid and Drugstore.com last month announced a restructured two-year strategic relationship that includes the launch of a Rite Aid online store for over-the-counter products and expands on the two companies' successful...

Making the scene: NACDS Pharmacy & Technology Conference.(NEWS & ANALYSIS)
September 22, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Michael Perfetto of Actavis, Miss World 2005 Unnur Birna Viljjalmsdottir, Saul Factor of McKesson and Doug Boothe of Actavis on the show floor [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Robert Sanzen, Nancy Buckingham and Jane...

Pipe dream: drug store cigarette sale bans will make smokers quit.(OPINION)
September 22, 2008... Just in time for the city of Boston's proposed ban on the sale of cigarettes in drug stores, this letter landed on my desk from a Pennsylvania pharmacist (see below), who took exception to the column I wrote for the Aug. 18 issue of Drug Store...

First-ever retail clinic congress highlights NP's role.(Retail Clinician: Education Congress)(nurse practitioners)
September 22, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ORLANDO, Fla. -- Vastly exceeding attendance projections, the first-ever Retail Clinician Education Congress, hosted last month by Retail Clinician, a Drug Store News Group publication, in conjunction with the...