News Briefs

Lenny & Larry’s has launched a brand new protein bar that contains 18 g of dairy, plant protein and probiotics.

The Boss! Immunity Bar features crunchy wafer layers woven with a creamy filling and covered in chocolatey goodness, the company said.

Available in four flavors — peanut butter cup, chocolate mint brownie, caramel macchiato and maple French toast — the non-GMO bars contain probiotic ingredients to help support immune health and protein utilization, as well as 2 g of sugar, and have no artificial flavors or sweeteners.

Currently, Lenny & Larry’s the Boss! Immunity Bars are available online in a four-count box that retails for $7.99.

 

Mamitas Hard Seltzer is getting ready for summer by launching two new flavors of its beverages, which are made with tequila.

A play on popular cocktails, the brand presents Spicy Marg and Tequila Sunrise drinks, which join the previously launched Paloma, lime, mango and pineapple varieties.

The Spicy Marg has a margarita body with a light cayenne kick and Tequila Sunrise tastes like a lighter-flavored version of the classic cocktail.

Made with 100% real tequila, each naturally gluten-free drink contains less than 1.5 g of sugar, 5% ABV and 95 calories, the company said.

Mamitas Hard Seltzer is available in an eight-count variety pack that retails from $17.99 to $21.99, a four-count pack from $9.99 to $12.99 and single 12-oz. cans that retail from $5 to $7. The classic flavors can be found on Drizly, as well as at Target, Walmart, Kroger and Publix among other retailers.

The National Community Pharmacists Association is hailing a move by the Federal Trade Commission to proceed with a 6(b) study of pharmacy benefit managers and anti-competitive business practices.

After the commission in February split 2-2 on a proposal to launch a formal study into PBMs, FTC chair Lina Khan pledged to call for another vote on the issue.

“PBMs behave like monopolies. Their secretive, anticompetitive practices increase prescription drug prices, limit consumer choice and stymie competition. They’ve escaped serious scrutiny for far too long, but this study will bring their dirty laundry out into the open,” said NCPA CEO Doug Hoey.

The vote comes after Alvaro Bedoya, who was sworn in as commissioner in May, joined Khan and all commissioners in voting to support the investigation. This will make the six largest PBMs (CVS Caremark; Express Scripts; OptumRx; Humana; Prime Therapeutics; and MedImpact Healthcare Systems) hand over information on PBM business practices, including fees and clawbacks charged to unaffiliated pharmacies, patient-steering, audits of independent pharmacies, reimbursement and more, the organization said. 

“NCPA has repeatedly called on the FTC to scrutinize PBM practices and thousands of community pharmacy owners and their allies have shared with the FTC their examples of the impact health insurer-owned PBMs have on consumer costs and access to prescription drugs contributing to the FTC decision to do the 6(b) study. These examples have made a difference. We’re grateful to chair Khan and the commissioners for considering these concerns and approving this study, which we hope will result in meaningful reforms to merger and acquisition reviews and, of course, to the insurer-PBMs themselves.,” said Hoey.  

On June 5, 2022, the American Pharmacists Association formally dedicated its new building as the John A. Gans Annex.

Current APhA president Theresa Tolle led a dedication ceremony attended by the APhA board of trustees, guests and family members.

The APhA building is both special and unique in that it is the only privately owned property on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The original headquarters were designed by architect John Russell Pope, with the initial groundbreaking ceremony in 1932. Construction was completed in 1933 and the building’s initial dedication took place in 1934 on the front lawn of the building with a prepared message from President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Plans to expand the headquarters were announced in 2001 and ground was broken for the John A. Gans Annex in 2006. In 2009, the new APhA headquarters were dedicated.

[Read more: APhA changes executive leadership]

John A. Gans was the 11th CEO of APhA and was the catalyst for expanding the home of America’s pharmacists in the early 2000s. Gans, with the support of APhA staff and board members, had the foresight to purchase additional land directly behind the original APhA headquarters and to expand the building. The expansion of APhA headquarters has allowed APhA to lease office space to the federal government and to optimize this important asset in support of the association’s mission.

Gans represents one of the most forward-thinking pharmacists of this era and has been a part of numerous teams and coalitions continuing to push the profession of pharmacy into the future. He graduated from the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science, where he received a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy in 1966 followed by a doctorate in pharmacy in 1969. During his tenure with APhA, he was at the forefront of the movement to expand pharmacists’ roles from being dispensers of medications to being medication experts. He also helped pave the path requiring that all pharmacists gain a PharmD to become licensed to practice. During Gans’ tenure, APhA provided the leadership in collaboration with state affiliates for pharmacists to become immunizers. During the pandemic, this served our country well as pharmacists vaccinated two out of every three Americans. This is only a snapshot of Gans’ many great contributions to the profession throughout his career.

[Read more: APhA, NASPA release 2022 National State-based Pharmacy Workplace Survey]

His passion and innovative thinking in pharmacy laid the groundwork for what the practice of pharmacy is today and the reason that it continues to grow as a profession. APhA is honored to announce the dedication of the annex to Dr. Gans as a small token of his innumerable contributions to pharmacy, APhA said.

Surescripts, a leading health information network, is welcoming a new executive leader.

Frank Harvey is joining the company as CEO, effective June 27. Harvey succeeds Tom Skelton, who previously announced his decision to retire.

Harvey is a pharmacist, an experienced chief executive and investor who has had numerous senior leadership roles during his more than 35-year career in the healthcare technology, pharmacy and pharmaceutical sectors, the company said.

Harvey joins Surescripts from ATLS Investment, where he led private equity investing in healthcare technology companies. Previously, he served as CEO of Mirixa and Liberty Medical Supply.

“It’s been a pleasure to work closely with Tom over the past eight years, and we appreciate the many successes that Surescripts achieved under his leadership,” said Steven Miller, co-chair of Surescripts’ board of directors. “We are now poised for continued growth and new opportunities with Frank’s leadership at this incredible time in health care.”

“Frank is a results-oriented leader with strong operational skills, and extensive experience growing healthcare businesses,” said Douglas Hoey, co-chair of Surescripts’ board of directors. “Frank combines his unique perspective and depth of experience with a passion for improving the lives of patients and evolving the healthcare system.”

“I’m honored to join Surescripts at such a critical time, and I look forward to working with the team to realize the enormous potential we have to change health care,” Harvey said. “I’m committed to what we do as a company and the new products and services we will bring to market that I believe will have a significant impact on the healthcare system as a whole.”

Pringles is continuing to once again innovate its Wavy chips line with the launch of a brand-new flavor.

Wavy Chipotle Ranch delivers smoky chipotle heat and creamy zesty ranch flavors in a chip that features a thick and wavy texture for an extra bold crunch, the Battle Creek, Mich.-based company said.

“We’re always listening to what our fans crave and pride ourselves on delivering insanely accurate flavor combinations in a single crisp,” said Mauricio Jenkins, U.S. marketing lead at Pringles. “These new crisps boast the perfect balance of spicy and sweet with flavor first and heat second, all while providing Pringles Ranch devotees and snackers alike with a new way to experience this classic bite.”

Consumers can find Pringles Wavy Chipotle Ranch for a limited time at Walgreens stores nationwide.