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WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT — Thursday's results marked the fifth consecutive quarter in which Rite Aid increased its same-store sales. And at the rate it's currently going, there's a good chance the country's third-largest retail pharmacy chain soon could become profitable, even though it expected to post losses in 2013, albeit even smaller losses than in 2012.

(THE NEWS: Rite Aid announces fourth quarter, fiscal year 2012 earnings. For the full story, click here.)

A typical retail pharmacy is equipped to handle most of the prescription needs of its customers, whether they have a skin rash, chronic illness or the need for a vaccination against the flu or shingles.


With the plethora of health needs facing humans these days, it’s easy to forget that Fluffy and Fido have a few health needs of their own — needs that are driving sales of prescription drugs for pets and opening opportunities for pharmacy retailers.


One of the highlights for Rite Aid’s business has been Wellness+, its loyalty card program that has played a major role in driving growth in the company’s comps, as well as attracting new and more loyal customers.


It’s called automated retailing. While retail merchants MaxWellness and Kroger are still in the pilot phase, more or less, this should become a fast brand extension that can reach consumers in remote locations — the bus stop/train depot, the hospital, the airport, the school, the gym or inside another noncompetitive retailer’s box.


The advantages are just too good for these mini-boxes not to take hold. To begin with, there’s brand extension. Only the Internet can be as effective in attributing a national presence to a regional operator. 


BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Walmart and healthcare partner Humana are out with a new prescription drug program called Rx4Value that guarantees savings and relies on the proven strategy of improving affordability by restricting choice to generic drugs.

GOODLETTSVILLE, Tenn. — Dollar General has pledged its support of the White House's Joining Forces initiative, which promotes private sector employment for members of the military community.

Several health-and-wellness programs targeting professional drivers have been gaining traction in the past few months. And for the consumer packaged goods industry, professional drivers represent a crucial cog in the whole supply chain. But it’s a cog that happens to be heavily indexed across many chronic disease states (e.g., obesity, diabetes, heart health) — and for a simple reason. There just aren’t that many healthy choices for those drivers putting the hammer down on the big road.


Electronic prescribing has long been touted as a way to reduce medication errors and healthcare costs, but one retail pharmacy chain has found another use for it.