In this Issue

On Jan. 1, Walgreens’ contract with Express Scripts expired, and millions of Walgreens customers covered by ESI were forced to either move their pharmacy business or come up with some other way to stick with Walgreens. Drug Store News interviewed Walgreens president and CEO Greg Wasson on what the company is doing to hold on to those customers and how it is appealing to payers.

According to the American Diabetes Association’s latest figures, 79 million Americans have prediabetes, but only 1-out-of-10 knows it. That suggests a terrific upside in the market of diabetes-testing supplies and diabetes-supportive products as more of those Americans become aware of their condition. 


CHICAGO — Walgreens in early January brought the latest example of its flagship retail pharmacy to life in Chicago. And, like it’s counterpart in New York, the interactive technology really sets the store apart from traditional retail pharmacy experiences. Two endcaps across from the pharmacy feature interactive touchscreens — one features information on smoking cessation, the other on heart health. Adjacent to the pharmacy’s pick-up window is a self-serve prescription checkout that dispenses a patient’s prescriptions.


Record-breaking attendance and four panel discussions on such topics as specialty pharmacy and diabetes set the stage for the 13th annual Drug Store News Industry Issues Summit held on Nov. 29 in New York City. This year’s event attracted more than 30 retailers and 200 industry suppliers. 


MIAMI — Navarro Discount Pharmacy recently celebrated the opening of its 30th store in Homestead, Fla., in the Homestead Pavilion Shopping Center. The store further differentiates the retailer from its competition and caters to the Hispanic market with its mix of ethnic products, such as chili peppers, piñatas and Jumex nectars.


The National Community Pharmacists Association recently unleashed a new front-end program that has seen more than 20% growth in test pilots. 
Driving that program is 35-year retail veteran Gabe Trahan, NCPA senior director of store operations and marketing. Drug Store News caught up with Trahan to discuss the kinds of tools that can be 
accessed as part of the new program. 


DSN: What are the primary elements?


NEW YORK — Duane Reade continues to raise the bar and reshape how consumers shop consumables at drug stores with its revamped 24-hour location at 52nd Street and Broadway in New York.


To better reflect the needs of the neighborhood, which is brimming largely with tourists and business travelers, Duane Reade transformed the former 3,100-sq.-ft. Duane Reade Express store into a 20,000-sq.-ft. health, beauty and daily living destination.


In late December, Drug Store News caught up with ECRM president Mitch Bowlus to find out what was in store for the company’s highly successful series of Efficient Program Planning Session meetings and the constantly evolving MarketGate technology that helps drives them.


DSN: Mitch, this recession continues to hammer consumers, yet it seems that ECRM continues to grow. How has your business managed that?