Opinion

I recently read an interesting Washington Post article about efforts to prevent people from abusing pain-killers prescribed for their pets. In response to this disturbing trend, states like Colorado and Maine have passed laws allowing or requiring veterinarians to check the prescription histories of pet owners.

It’s one thing to say food retailers are boosting their commitments to health and wellness. It’s another to actually crunch the numbers and understand how this is playing out.

A recently released report does just that by quantifying the growing retailer involvement in clinics, community health partnerships, consumer education, and other areas.

The future of retail innovation is not just about selling products; it’s about developing new healthcare platforms, uncovering new networks and nurturing a passionate brand community. Retailers and consumer health companies must constantly knit together new assets, addressing the changing needs of today’s consumer. It is created by balancing science, emerging technology and design. Committing to an innovative culture is dangerous because you never know what you will discover, or what the implications will be. The discovery process is core to an emerging healthcare culture.

You’re pretty proud of where you went to high school — some would say fanatical. Where did you go, and why does it matter? I graduated from Xavier High School, here, in New York City. We call ourselves “Sons of Xavier,” and for me that always meant more than just words etched on a plaque on a wall.

While an insurance card contains a lot of information and is an important part of the pharmacy transaction, there are times when it doesn’t tell the whole story.

The insurance card indicates only the current plan covering the patient. What it cannot tell the pharmacist is whether or not there is additional coverage, or what specific type of coverage the patient has. Even when the pharmacy sends the claim to be adjudicated by the plan, the messaging returned does not indicate if the coverage is for a commercial or government plan, such as Managed Medicaid.

You are what you eat. Or is it who you eat with?

Well, it turns out both matter!

The food retail industry is about to enter the third year of the September National Family Meals Month program. So as a curtain raiser, it’s a good time to assess the diverse retailer efforts of last year – from Kroger and The Little Clinic to Hannaford — and take a peek at a couple of upcoming initiatives

I never understood people who root against the hometown team. I once knew a New York Yankees fan that was pulling for the Boston Red Sox in the 1986 World Series. (Are you kidding me — the FLIPPING Red Sox?!) I bet him $50 just on principal; what kind of demented Yankees fan could ever root for the Red Sox to beat another New York team? Surely, this is the kind of sick lunatic that the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, the CIA and just about every federal and local law enforcement agency in the country should have on a watch list.

The OTC e-commerce channel is the 900-lb. gorilla in the traditional domestic and global retail worlds. A U.S. brand owner is now confronted with a global pricing discipline challenge. The speed and ubiquity of product pricing and information has forced the issue. To paraphrase Hermione in “Harry Potter,” everything has changed.