INSIGHTS AND PERSPECTIVES

WASHINGTON — Calling it a "looming threat," the National Council on Patient Information and Education released a 10-step plan to draw attention to the problem of poor medication adherence among elderly people with multiple chronic conditions.

NEW YORK — Nearly half of patients with schizophrenia don't comply with doctors' prescription instructions, according to a new physician survey.

By November, Walgreens will have completed fine-tuning its management structure for maximum effectiveness in realizing its three-pronged strategy. That strategy includes improving the front-end experience through retail theater. It includes establishing the pharmacist as the go-to source for healthcare, not just for the patient but for the payer, too.

LONDON — The global market for drugs to treat constipation resulting from use of opioid painkillers will increase more than tenfold by 2017, according to new research.

It's been the week of the dollar store. Dollar General opened store No. 11,000 last week, and Family Dollar continues to reinvent its brand relevance with the consumer as the company posted monster gains for its fiscal fourth quarter and the year, driven by store experimentation, remodels and the introduction 1,000 SKUs, including many health and beauty items. 

A new law in Maine will allow the importation of drugs from abroad through mail-order from some pharmacies, formalizing a practice that has existed in many parts of the country for several years, and marking the first time a state government has, by law, gone against Food and Drug Administration regulations that bar importation of drugs.

LONDON — The drug market in Brazil is expected to grow to nearly $60 billion by the next decade, but problems remain with coverage of the population, according to a new report.

The report, by research and consulting firm GlobalData, found that the Brazilian market would experience compounded annual growth of 12.7%, expanding from $12.4 billion in 2007 to $58.8 billion in 2020.

PLAINSBORO, N.J. — More than half of prescribers are writing prescriptions electronically, according to a new study.