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ISSAQUAH, Wash. — A brand of cheese sold at Costco stores has been linked to E. coli infections in five states, the mass merchandise chain, the Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned Thursday.

CAMP HILL, Pa. Rite Aid will introduce Rite Aid Online Care to the Pittsburgh market, a service that offers patients live online interactive personal consultations with specially trained Rite Aid pharmacists via a computer, at the American Diabetes Association on Nov. 6.

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT’S IMPORTANT — This is a next-generation pharmacy solution for the next generation of seniors, who begin celebrating birthday No. 65 with the coming of the New Year at a rate of one every 10 seconds, and that’s for nearly two straight decades.

PHILADELPHIA — Safeway will sell two stores in the Philadelphia area to one of Ahold’s supermarket banners, according to published reports.

The Philadelphia Business Journal reported Thursday that Giant-Carlisle will buy two Genuardi’s supermarkets in Bucks County, Pa.

Each store will be closed on Nov. 13 and will re-open in first quarter 2011 under the Giant banner. Store employees will have the opportunity to transfer to other Genuardi’s stores or interview to work at Giant.

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT — It would be no small thing to define the retail market for wellness, much less “own” it. But Walgreens is staking its future on its ability to do just that.

(THE NEWS: Walgreens chief: We want to own ‘well.’ For the full story, click here)

DEERFIELD, Ill. The healthcare landscape is changing. There’s a new value-driven consumer who has emerged and, in light of this, retail pharmacy giant Walgreens is in the midst of an evolution into “a retail health and daily living store” and is on a mission to “own well.” That was a key message that an optimistic Greg Wasson, Walgreens president and CEO, had for Wall Street during the company’s Analyst Day conference on Thursday in Chicago.

NEW YORK KidKupz on Tuesday announced its new medicine-dispensing cups soon will be available nationwide through Walgreens.

The KidKupz are fruit-flavored medicine dispensing cups that contain 2 g of sugar and no high-fructose corn syrup.