HEALTH

NEW YORK — The entire retail store is a diabetes destination, and pharmacists are critical in educating and communicating with consumers to help them and their loved ones better manage the chronic disease. That was one of several important messages that industry leaders expressed during Drug Store News’ 8th Annual Diabetes Roundtable discussion on Tuesday in New York at the New York Athletic Club. More than 100 leading industry players gathered for the event, which also included the 12th Annual Industry Issues Summit in the afternoon.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — An alliance between a drug store chain and a national pharmacy benefit manager resulted in more than $3 million in savings over a seven-month period for the PBM clients.

NEW YORK — Recent public perception that the Food and Drug Administration had not been doing its job — ensuring that Americans' approved medical devices and medicines are relatively safe — may be impeding fast approval processes, according to a new PricewaterhouseCoopers report published Tuesday.

The report, “Improving America’s Health V,” determined that the FDA’s renewed vigor for enforcing regulations may be straining the working relationship between regulator and the industry being regulated.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens' chief medical officer will discuss the evidence-based medicine design and impact of a diabetes management program delivered by pharmacists at both workplace and community pharmacies during an upcoming conference, the drug store chain said.

ALLEGAN, Mich. — Perrigo on Monday launched a store-brand version of Bayer Healthcare’s Aleve Liquid Gels, 220 mg.

Aleve Liquid Gels generated annual sales of approximately $80 million, Perrigo stated, citing SymphonyIRI Group data.

"This approval is another example of Perrigo's commitment to bring new products to market,” stated Perrigo's chairman and CEO Joseph Papa. Perrigo noted that it is the first-to-market with a generic equivalent of the Aleve Liquid Gels.

WASHINGTON — Moving a step closer to filling a leadership void, the American Pharmacists Association Foundation said Monday it has tapped The Bernard Consulting Group, an executive search firm, to assist with the search for the next executive director and CEO of the organization.

NEW YORK — Weider Publications’ Fit Pregnancy magazine and Merz Pharmaceuticals on Monday partnered on the start of the "New Moms: Wear Your Skin Proudly!" reader test panel.

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT — This is part of the future of health care that Walgreens envisioned when it first began to make a major commitment to specialty pharmacy — it knew it could save payers and patients a whole lot of money.

(THE NEWS: Walgreens promotes big savings via monitored oncology Rx therapy. For the full story, click here)