WALGREENS

NEW YORK — Predictions of a more active flu season are coming true as temperature differences have helped drive flu activity, a Citibank financial analyst wrote.

In a letter to investors, Citi Research analyst Deborah Weinswig wrote that influenza virus activity in the week ended Dec. 8 increased year over year for the ninth consecutive time this season and increased significantly compared with last week — up 28.3% compared with last week's 20.7%.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens will keep stores open on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day to allow last-minute Christmas shopping, the retail pharmacy chain said Wednesday.

This includes 1,600 24-hour locations that will be open around the clock, while most Walgreens stores will stay open until midnight through Dec. 23, and nearly all stores will be open during regular hours on Christmas Eve, including pharmacies, which will be open from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. On Christmas, non-24-hour stores will be open from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m., and pharmacies will be open at 24-hour stores.

NEW YORK — What pharmacy lobbying groups and Drug Store News have been saying for a while has reached the mainstream.

The New York Times published an editorial over the weekend recommending that the country address its shortage of primary care doctors by relying more on other healthcare actors — such as pharmacists, nurse practitioners and patients themselves — as well as physician assistants and members of the community.

HAWAII — The Pacific Business News on Friday reported that a prominent real estate executive in the Hawaii region joined Walgreens from CVS Caremark. 

According to the report, Rock Tang, former regional director for real estate in Hawaii for CVS Caremark has been named senior real estate manager at Walgreens. Tang will be in charge of developing new stores around Hawaii and in Northern California. 

For the full report, click here. 

Authorities in Massachusetts are looking to tighten regulations on compounding pharmacies as the state health department announced some changes to the makeup of the Massachusetts Board of Pharmacy and sent cease-and-desist notices to three compounding pharmacies for alleged violations.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens last Wednesday reported November sales of $5.9 billion, a decrease of 3.9% versus the same period last year. However, the company also noted it had enrolled 38 million customers for its new loyalty card program, which debuted in September. 

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation on Friday announced they have completed a transaction giving Walgreens a significant ownership stake in Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Pharmacy, the parent company of Cystic Fibrosis Services.

Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

ADDISON, Texas — Walgreens last month acquired UCH Pharmaceutical Services, an independent retail pharmacy based in Indiana, the company that helped broker the deal announced Wednesday. 

UCH is an independent retail pharmacy that provided specialty compounding services throughout Grant County, Ind. 

The Transition Companies acted as UCH’s sole M&A advisor for this transaction, which closed in November 2012.