Pharmacy Technology

Dear Mr. President,

In my first letter to you (see Drug Store News, Dec. 9, 2008, “Dear Mr. President-Elect,” page 12), I implored you to make fixing the U.S. healthcare system the enduring legacy of your presidency.

This full-page ad taken out by Walgreens is important as it comes at a time when healthcare reform is top of mind.

The ad serves as a call to action for healthcare providers, along with state and federal government, to work together to develop a high quality and affordable healthcare system. It also calls for payers, politicians and policy makers to recognize the value of an expanded role for retail-based clinics beyond simply acute care.

There has always been an undercurrent of thought that a pound of prevention might save an ounce of cure. And now that cure is outweighing prevention in terms of cost, combined with the fact that Americans are looking for just about any way to save a buck these days.

Pick an outside turnaround artist/corporate hotshot to lead the nation’s most storied drug store retailer? Forget it.

While Drug Store News has been, and continues to be, a staunch supporter for the widespread adoption of healthcare information technology — as it is the most logical first step toward a working healthcare system where providers communicate, patients get better, and payers get their money’s worth — rushing HIT legislation through in the name of economic stimulus is the wrong idea. And, not because HIT adoption won’t create jobs and stimulate the economy, either.

For several years, the Walgreens annual shareholders meeting had been a time of yearly celebration; this year, however, executives had a bit of explaining to do, in order to convince investors that the company remains a top-notch investment.

The Ohio Legislature’s passage of a law named for a young girl who died after receiving the wrong IV solution to require a background check and competency test certified by the Ohio State Board of Pharmacy for pharmacy technicians provides a new measure of safety for patients.

NEW YORK With the country focused on expanding health care to 46 million uninsured, the fact that UnitedHealth and Cisco have thought to include retail clinics into their joint telehealth solution is a nod to the important role clinics play as healthcare extenders.