INSIGHTS AND PERSPECTIVES

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.

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 news that pharmacists believe that most consumers buy over-the-counter products that were recommended by them further demonstrates the significant role that pharmacists play in the U.S. healthcare system.

(THE NEWS: APhA survey: Pharmacists recommend over-the-counter products to consumers. For the full story, click here)

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT It was only a matter of time.

(THE NEWS: Walgreens taps clinician for new medical post. For the full story, click here)

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT Of all the cells in the big organism known as health care, pharmacy is the right one to own the issue of medication adherence, as National Association of Chain Drug Stores president and CEO Steve Anderson pledged it would when commenting on a study published in the journal Health Affairs.

(THE NEWS: NACDS hails journal article's emphasis on pharmacy's role in medication adherence. For the full story, click here)

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT Duane Reade’s sale to Walgreens means a lot of things, but one thing that won’t happen is that it will lose the unique identity that the chain has carved out in its hometown of New York, which allowed it to set itself apart from other retail pharmacies in the area. And in the process, Duane Reade is helping to redefine what a retail pharmacy can do and be.

(THE NEWS: Duane Reade teams up with JagTag. For the full story, click here)

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT The news that Helena Foulkes will lead PBM product innovation and marketing at CVS Caremark is important, as Foulkes, the ExtraCare architect, is widely regarded as one of the most visionary marketers in modern drug store retailing.

(THE NEWS: Foulkes to lead PBM product innovation, marketing at CVS Caremark. For the full story, click here)

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT The idyllic Palm Beach setting is splendid. The weather usually is sunny and sublime. And the service, food and amenities served up by The Breakers nearly always are flawless.

(THE NEWS: Time to assert pharmacy’s role, new NACDS chairman urges. For the full story, click here)