Retail Clinics

CHICAGO — Walgreens now has certified more than 500 of its pharmacies as HIV Centers of Excellence in communities highly impacted by HIV, as identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the pharmacy operator announced Thursday at the U.S. Conference on AIDS.

NEW YORK — With the cost of employee healthcare benefits on the rise, public employers are under increased pressure to contain costs while also providing benefits that help them maintain a healthy work force and attract the best employees. One solution to consider: on-site health clinics, according to a recently released study.

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS Caremark is expanding its Pharmacy Advisor program to now include chronic cardiovascular care, a pharmacy-based approach to managing one of the most prevalent and expensive chronic illnesses.

NEW YORK — Teenagers that consume a fiber-rich diet are less likely to develop metabolic syndrome, according to a new study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.

EMERYVILLE, Calif. — Clif Kid on Tuesday released the results of a national survey that found that consumers are confused about nutrition labels; specifically, appropriate quantities of nutrients and nutrition terminology causes frustration among parents when it comes to feeding their kids.

ATLANTA — In honor of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Get Smart About Antibiotics Week, the CDC will host a discussion on Twitter that will underscore the importance of appropriate antibiotic use.

The awareness week, which was first established in 2008, will begin Monday, while the Twitter chat is scheduled to take place on Tuesday. The discussion encourages a dialogue between healthcare professionals and members of the CDC on ways to improve antibiotic use in healthcare settings and more.

BOULDER, Colo. — GeoPalz on Tuesday instituted technical upgrades to its GeoPalz product and online activity-tracking program.

“Our main goal is to motivate kids and families to be active together, so we are proud to bolster the technical abilities of this product to more precisely and confidently track their steps," GeoPalz CEO Rich Schmelzer said.

PLEASANTON, Calif. — Nearly two-thirds of Americans believe flu shots prevent the flu, but only half plan to get the shot this year, according to the "Safeway Seasonal Wellness Survey," conducted by Kelton Research.

This is especially surprising, given that 89% said getting a flu shot is “as important” (50%) or “more important” (39%) than it was five years ago.