In this Issue

NEW YORK — Record-breaking attendance, a high-profile keynote speaker, four engaging panel discussions on some of the hottest issues facing the industry and exclusive consumer videos set the stage for the 13th annual Drug Store News Industry Issues Summit held on Tuesday in New York.

October sure was a busy month for news in the drug channel. It began in earnest on Oct. 1, the day CVS’ new president officially began his new job. Before the month was over, CVS’ chief merchant left to become president of Family Dollar, and his responsibilities would be carved up between three key executives.

In September, the Generic Pharmaceutical Association announced the appointment of Ralph Neas — former president and CEO of the National Coalition on Health Care — as its new president and CEO, replacing Kathleen Jaeger, who stepped down as president and CEO of the organization in May 2010. Drug Store News recently spoke with Neas about his plans and vision for the organization and the industry as a whole.


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This month The Drug Store News Group introduced “From the Blogs,” a hot, new content feature on DrugStoreNews.com. Meant to provide an interactive forum for DrugStoreNews.com users, DSN From the Blogs will be anchored by expert blogs written by leading opinion leaders.


In February, Drug Store News discussed three issues concerning generic drugs that would figure prominently throughout the year: drug safety, user fees and patent settlements.


NEW YORK — Fast Retailing, parent company of apparel shop Uniqlo, is on the fast track. The Japanese retailer has more than 1,013 Uniqlo stores in 11 different countries, and is working to expand its U.S. presence by opening stores in major cities across the nation. Its latest stop: New York City.


I know this older guy at my gym — I call him “The Professor,” mostly because he used to teach journalism, but also because it’s more fun to say and easier to remember than his actual name. He’s 85 now, and he says if he doesn’t get to the club to swim laps and sit in the steam room at least three times a week, he feels like he’s doing something wrong. He says he feels the same way about flu shots and all vaccinations for that matter.