WALGREENS

CHICAGO — New federal and state regulations are expanding the role of the pharmacist, noted Richard Ashworth, Walgreens VP pharmacy services, during a live “Health Chat” hosted by Chicago Tribune reporter Bruce Japsen on Thursday afternoon. And that’s of benefit to patients at large, especially as “community pharmacy is located in the local communities and [is] a natural extension of the healthcare system,” Ashworth wrote.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens on Wednesday donated $150,000 to the American Red Cross in response to the earthquake that struck Japan last week. The company also will match employee donations up to $100,000.

STERLING, Colo. — The value in enabling innovation and niche marketing at the store level was evidenced in a Journal-Advocate report Tuesday around the introduction of an innovative healthcare product that was picked up across three individual Walgreens.

The full report can be found here.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — One of the nation's largest drug store chains announced its sponsorship of nationwide life-saving trainings hosted by the American Red Cross.

The “Gabrielle Giffords Honorary Save-a-Life Saturday” event, which will be held March 19, will offer free training and instruction on hands-only CPR, controlling external bleeding, and recognizing and managing shock. The event is named after Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who was critically injured, along with several other citizens, during the recent Tucson, Ariz., shooting. Six people were killed.

NEW YORK — Hitting select mass retail locations in April is the new FX Wild Harvest Hydra Silk collection, which contains a blend of natural, wild ingredients harvested from different regions of the world to make hair shiny, thicker and fuller.

The new FX Wild Harvest Hydra Silk collection includes:

DEERFIELD, Ill. — The evolving role of the pharmacist and the growing impact of pharmacist interventions on clinical outcomes were discussed Tuesday by Walgreens chief medical officer Cheryl Pegus at the 11th annual Population Health and Care Coordination Colloquium in Philadelphia.

WASHINGTON — Atico International USA issued a voluntary recall of 57,000 holiday rattle baby slippers amid a choking hazard, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

The CPSC reported that the soft shoes with built-in rattles were imported from China by Atico International USA of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and sold nationwide at Walgreens stores from October 2010 through January 2011 for about $5.

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT — A lot was made of Walgreens' sale of its pharmacy benefit management business to focus on its stores and the other parts of its business, with some analysts and pundits suggesting CVS should or might soon follow suit. Whether or not CVS Caremark decides to do the same remains to be seen, but it certainly isn't the foregone conclusion some have suggested it might be.