CVS

NEW YORK — Hitting select mass retail locations in April is the new FX Wild Harvest Hydra Silk collection, which contains a blend of natural, wild ingredients harvested from different regions of the world to make hair shiny, thicker and fuller.

The new FX Wild Harvest Hydra Silk collection includes:

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — The CVS Caremark Charitable Trust has announced the donation of $100,000 to the American Red Cross in support of relief efforts under way in Japan following last week's tragic earthquake and tsunami, with a potential total donation of up to $300,000 through the matching of CVS Caremark employee donations.

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT — A lot was made of Walgreens' sale of its pharmacy benefit management business to focus on its stores and the other parts of its business, with some analysts and pundits suggesting CVS should or might soon follow suit. Whether or not CVS Caremark decides to do the same remains to be seen, but it certainly isn't the foregone conclusion some have suggested it might be.

WOONSOCKET, R.I., and WASHINGTON —  Patients that participated in a prescription discount card program created by the National Association of Counties saved more than $107 million on their medications in 2010, a new survey released by CVS Caremark and NACo found.

What's more, CVS Caremark and NACo noted, the average discount per prescription was about 24%.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Smith & Nephew's advanced wound management division on Saturday announced a U.S. voluntary nationwide recall of selected lots of IV PREP antiseptic wipes (product No. 59421200), manufactured for Smith & Nephew by the Triad Group, due to concerns about potential microbial contamination with Bacillus cereus.

Use of contaminated alcohol prep pads, wipes and swabs could lead to life-threatening infections, especially in such at-risk populations as immune-suppressed and surgical patients.

The drug store channel isn’t maximizing its potential in the consumer electronics category. According to research by TWICE and the Stevenson Co., CE sales at Walgreens, Rite Aid and CVS amounted to $111 billion last year, less than 1% of the chains’ combined revenue. At Walmart, electronics comprise about 7% of sales. TWICE’s research also revealed that CE sales at all three drug chains were down last year.

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — MinuteClinic announced that it is offering spring sports physicals at its facilities across the country to make it easier and more affordable for children and teenagers to head to the field and participate in organized sports.

Beginning March 1 to 31, MinuteClinic will offer the pre-participation physicals, which are required by many states, school systems and athletic leagues. MinuteClinic nurse practitioners and physician assistants will offer the exams seven days a week, including weekday evenings. No appointment is necessary.

NEW YORK and WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS Caremark has inked a three-year agreement with ActiveHealth Management, an independent subsidiary of Aetna, under which CVS Caremark will apply the evidence-based, clinical intelligence of the ActiveHealth CareEngine to healthcare claims for its PBM customers to identify opportunities for improved pharmacy care.

CVS Caremark will apply the CareEngine to more than 800,000 members beginning in April, with additional membership to be added as CVS Caremark consults with its PBM clients.