A report by AARP indicated that prices for branded drugs have increased at a rate...

Concerning the effort to shift the nation’s healthcare system away from paper records and handwritten...

As parent company AmerisourceBergen merged more of its old Family Pharmacy network of independent drug stores and store-support services into its resurgent Good Neighbor Pharmacy operations and marketing umbrella, GNP has continued a rapid growth spurt and muscled its way into the top tier of national drug store brands.

One of the unique aspects of EPIC is its deep roots in building a consumer brand that touts the advantages of locally owned drug stores. To help accomplish this goal, Angelo Voxakis, president and CEO, said that in 2007 EPIC invested $2 million in consumer advertising to support its 650 primary members. And it is clear that the company’s Web site has been designed with the consumer in mind.

Independent pharmacy has been slammed hard by the continuing slide in prescription-dispensing profits, a dismal economy and powerful chain store competitors. But with their strong ties to local communities and the patients they serve, most are weathering the storm and may emerge stronger than ever.

Since 2006 PBA Health has grown from slightly more than 1,000 members to 1,800, making it the fastest-growing major pharmacy group, according to Nick Smock, CEO of the Kansas City, Mo.-based cooperative. One of the things that made this growth possible is the organization’s realization that, while buying “right” will always be a key element of success for any pharmacy, two other areas are just as important: operational excellence and effective marketing.

What a difference a year makes. Walgreens’ management and shareholders were long accustomed to steady, record-breaking gains in sales and earnings, and a pedal-to-the-metal store development strategy, that made Walgreens the nation’s fastest-growing pharmacy retailer and a market leader in cities across the country. As recently as the company’s annual meeting in January 2008, former chairman and CEO Jeff Rein reaffirmed that strategy, outlining a bold plan for filling in markets across the country by opening roughly one new store every 16 hours and buying the prescription files, and sometimes the stores, of rival independent and small chain pharmacies. He also said the company aggressively would pursue new opportunities in specialty pharmacy and front-end merchandising.

Michigan has long been regarded as one of the nation’s most proactive states in the...

This full-page ad taken out by Walgreens is important as it comes at a time...

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

The Ohio Legislature’s passage of a law named for a young girl who died after...