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When one of the retail pharmacy industry’s best-known merchandising gurus is pulled away from the front end of the store and put in charge of purchasing and new cost-saving efficiency programs behind the pharmacy counter, you know big changes are afoot.

“I’m not willing to say it was a great move at this point.”—BusinessWeek Feb. 12, 2009.

That’s what Morningstar analyst Mitchell Corwin had to say about the 2007 merger that created the $76 billion healthcare goliath now known as CVS Caremark. He’s entitled to his opinion, but you have to believe there was probably a whole lot of people waiting to greet Columbus upon his return to remind him that despite his killer suntan, the world most definitely was still flat. And no amount of corn or cocoa would make them think otherwise.

A few months after San Francisco drug stores cleared their inventories of anything with tobacco, a city on the opposite side of the country passed a similar ban. Boston has banned tobacco sales in retail pharmacies as well, but its ban covers all stores that operate pharmacies, not just drug stores.

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.

News that The AeroClinic has opened its second airport-based health clinic speaks not only to the importance of the convenience care industry but also to the industry’s evolution as health care professionals continue their quest to provide consumers with quality, affordable and convenient healthcare services.

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

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 fact that Take Care has hit the one millionth-patient mark is important because it is yet further evidence of just how quickly convenient care has ramped up in recent months, and offers a hint of what’s coming. While patient satisfaction, quality care and convenience contributed to the growth of the market, there’s no doubt that a recently launched marketing campaign, and the growing number of clinics that have opened over the last year has significantly helped bolster foot traffic.