HEALTH

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT’S IMPORTANT Retail clinics. Save. Money. Without regard to who’s footing the bill exactly — healthcare payer or Jane Patient — retail clinics not only represent a significant cost savings across the board, but by siphoning nonemergency-yet-still-urgent cases out of the emergency rooms and doctors’ offices, retail clinics also can contribute to improved care across the healthcare continuum.

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT The launch of CVS Caremark's Pharmacy Advisor program is important on several fronts; not only does it further strengthen the company's foothold on the frontlines of health care and help curb healthcare costs (in this case targeting patients with diabetes), but it also serves as yet another indicator of the importance and benefit of the company's vertically integrated pharmacy-PBM model.