WALGREENS

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens saw a rise in sales across the board for the month of November and fiscal first quarter 2011, the drug store chain said Friday.

Total sales for the chain rose 8.6% to $5.83 billion in November, with 2.8 percentage points contributed by Duane Reade stores. Comparable-store sales for the month also saw a gain of 3.2%, although comps results do not include Duane Reade sales. Total sales for the quarter saw a strong gain of 5.9% to $17.33 billion, as comparable-store sales increased 0.8%.

NEW YORK — The inhabitants of Brooklyn's Williamsburg neighborhood tend to like their independent, mom-and-pop stores. So it's no surprise that the recent opening of a Duane Reade store on Bedford Avenue caused some controversy among residents. But then again, Duane Reade is no ordinary drug store chain, and it showed its independent spirit with something far from controversial: beer.

NEW YORK — The charitable arm of the National Association of Chain Drug Stores held its 12th annual dinner in New York on Tuesday, which generated $1.76 million for research, charitable efforts and scholarships.

The NACDS Foundation said some of the funds were granted to those that sought to improve medication adherence -- understanding medication therapy and appropriately taking medications -- among patients. The foundation awarded a $1 million grant to National Consumer League’s public awareness campaign, which promotes medication adherence.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens is making a high-impact health statement to mark World AIDS Day that will be hard to ignore.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — An alliance between a drug store chain and a national pharmacy benefit manager resulted in more than $3 million in savings over a seven-month period for the PBM clients.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens' chief medical officer will discuss the evidence-based medicine design and impact of a diabetes management program delivered by pharmacists at both workplace and community pharmacies during an upcoming conference, the drug store chain said.

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT — This is part of the future of health care that Walgreens envisioned when it first began to make a major commitment to specialty pharmacy — it knew it could save payers and patients a whole lot of money.

(THE NEWS: Walgreens promotes big savings via monitored oncology Rx therapy. For the full story, click here)

DEERFIELD, Ill. An intensive cancer patient management program by Walgreens’ specialty pharmacy professionals could save health plan payers $2,000 to $4,000 per patient each month, the company announced.