CVS

NEW YORK — Walgreens might be willing to acquire Rite Aid if it can't settle an ongoing contractual dispute with one of the country's largest pharmacy benefit managers, Walgreens' former CEO said in a conference call with investors Monday.

Interviewed by Credit Suisse analyst Edward Kelly, former Walgreens CEO Jeff Rein suggested that Walgreens' board "would have the stomach" to buy Rite Aid if it doesn't reach an agreement with Express Scripts, as buying Rite Aid's nearly 4,700 stores would give Walgreens considerable leverage against the PBM.

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT — A miniature version of the spike in stock market activity that followed speculation about the prospects of a Walgreens-Rite Aid merger happened on Drug Store News' website as a quick writeup about the potential deal became the most-read story on the site.

(THE NEWS: Reports: WAG-RAD merger speculation drives RAD stock to four-year high. For the full story, click here)

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — With sign-ups for spring sporting events under way, adding physical exams to parents’ to-do lists, MinuteClinic is promoting its sport and camp physicals and is offering them for a discounted price through Sept. 30.

Through Sept. 30, MinuteClinic will offer sports and camp physicals at $49 — $10 off the standard price of $59. Coaches, athletic directors, and team and group leaders can help participants take advantage of an additional $5 discount for teams or groups of 12 or more that register online in advance.

IRVINE, Caif. — Styling brand Göt2b has introduced its new Göt2b Powder’ful Back 2 Bed Texture powder, a styling powder that promises to deliver just-rolled-out-of-bed, perfectly tousled locks.
 
The new product comes on the heels of the release of Göt2b Powder’ful volumizing styling powder. The new weightless texturizing powder is designed to create an effortlessly natural, tousled look in 10 seconds flat. The powder delivers flexible control and a satin matte finish.
 

“How does that help me sell more cases, pallets and truckloads?” That’s a question I have been asked repeatedly, particularly as the world of retail pharmacy has evolved to play a larger role in health care. With that, the business that we cover in Drug Store News has become incredibly more complicated.


MINNEAPOLIS — Kantar Media on Wednesday reported that overall retailer advertising expenditures increased 1.6% and retailer participation in Free Standing Insert coupon promotion pages increased 30.7% over calendar year 2011, versus the corresponding year-ago period. Additionally, digital coupon events increased 40.4% during this period across the leading retailer websites monitored by Kantar Media.

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS Caremark's board of directors has approved a quarterly dividend of 16.25 cents per share of common stock.

The dividend is payable May 3 to shareholders of record on April 23.

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS/pharmacy is looking to help pharmacy customers on their path to better health through improved medication adherence as guidance gained from the company’s extensive health policy research points to the importance of a single “pharmacy home.”