CVS

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS Caremark is gearing up for flu season and will leverage both its CVS/pharmacy locations and MinuteClinic sites to provide flu shots for patients every day, including evenings and weekends, and will offer direct medical billing to many national and regional health plans that will cover all or part of the cost of a flu shot.

BOSTON — CVS Caremark is welcoming thousands of delegates to the 2011 National Urban League Conference as a title sponsor of the event that is taking place in Boston this week.

CHICAGO — CVS Caremark, through its All Kids Can program, has partnered with Easter Seals over the past six years to support children at risk of autism, developmental delays or disabilities. CVS Caremark is continuing its support by investing in Easter Seals' Make the First Five Count initiative to help assure children receive critical early intervention services.

WOONSOCKET, R.I., and DETROIT — Henry Ford Health System is working to increase its capacity to serve patients in metropolitan Detroit through a new collaborative effort with CVS Caremark's MinuteClinic.

MinuteClinic has 10 walk-in clinics inside select CVS/pharmacy stores in Southeast Michigan and is exploring additional locations in the Detroit metropolitan area.

NEW YORK — Financial services firm Credit Suisse tabulated total basket increases of 2.7% year over year and 1% month over month for retail.

“Our monthly pricing survey in Dallas and Chicago showed that all retailers raised prices on a year-over-year and month-over-month basis with the exception of Jewel [a Supervalu banner operating in Chicago],” Credit Suisse research analyst Ed Kelly wrote in a note published Monday.

Health care is like precision engineering; tweaking one element ever so slightly can mean the difference between a healthy life and an early death or, in the case of drug spending, between nearly $50,000 and just north of $1,000.


WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT — In his July 20 letter to benefit consultants, Walgreens president of pharmacy, health and wellness Kermit Crawford made a direct appeal to plan sponsors to either “select a PBM that includes Walgreens” or consider “direct arrangements with plans currently using Express Scripts, to the extent permitted by their contracts.” The letter also included an attached “template agreement that can be used to implement such direct arrangements where permitted,” for consideration.

SADDLE BROOK, N.J. — Dana Classic Fragrances has announced that it is re-releasing two of its popular fragrances: Love's Fresh Lemon and Love's Soft Jasmin.

The fragrances had very strong consumer loyalty throughout the '70s and '80s and, according to the company, their re-release has been requested and blogged about by fragrance users for several years.

Both fragrances will be available in 1.5-oz./ 45-mL body mists and will be featured at CVS stores in August.