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Authorities in Massachusetts are looking to tighten regulations on compounding pharmacies as the state health department announced some changes to the makeup of the Massachusetts Board of Pharmacy and sent cease-and-desist notices to three compounding pharmacies for alleged violations.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation on Friday announced they have completed a transaction giving Walgreens a significant ownership stake in Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Pharmacy, the parent company of Cystic Fibrosis Services.

Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS/pharmacy has introduced a variety of new features to its mobile suite, which consists of the CVS mobile app and a mobile-optimized website at m.CVS.com.

The new features range from health resources that make it easier to schedule immunizations and identify pills, to a sleeker look and feel for the CVS Mobile app that makes mobile shopping a snap.

ARLINGTON, Va. — Retail pharmacy chain Rite Aid will deliver patients' immunization notifications directly to healthcare providers over the Surescripts Network for Clinical Interoperability.

CAMP HILL, Pa. — As expected, Hurricane Sandy left its mark on Rite Aid's monthly sales as the chain reported a decline in comps for November.

The company said the 3% decrease in same-store sales for the five-week period ended Saturday included a 0.5% decrease in front-end comps and a 4.2% decrease in pharmacy comps, while same-store prescription count increased 2.2% compared with the same time last year.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens Wednesday morning reported November sales of $5.9 billion, a decrease of 3.9% versus the same period last year. Total front-end sales decreased 0.3% compared with the same month in fiscal 2012, while comparable store front-end sales were down 1.7%. Customer traffic in comparable stores was down 4.9% while basket size increased 3.2%.

However, registrations for Walgreens Balance Rewards loyalty program, which launched in September, totaled more than 38 million through November, denoting a strong start for the program. 

CHICAGO — The overwhelming majority of retailers offer some kind of service for mobile shoppers, and one national retail pharmacy chain was named among those leading the way, according to a new study.

Digital marketing and e-commerce company Acquity Group released results of a report showing that 82% of retailers have a mobile-optimized site, 72% have a mobile or tablet app, and 66% have both. Most of them, 88%, use basic mobile capabilities like shopping carts, while 85% use featured products, 63% use customer reviews, and 54% use contact forms.

CAMP HILL, Pa. — Rite Aid has become the exclusive retailer of a new line of home fitness products, the retail pharmacy chain said Wednesday.