WALGREENS

CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa. Retail clinic operator Take Care Health Systems, which is owned by Walgreens, has opened two new clinics in the Houston area, according to a local news report.

The new clinics bring the total number of Take Care Clinics to 14 in the local market, the article stated.

DEERFIELD, Ill. Walgreens has teamed up with “The Dr. Oz Show” to educate the public about the importance of flu prevention.

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT The heartbreaking news is that California is battling an unnerving whooping cough epidemic that unfortunately already has claimed the lives of nine babies. But the silver lining -- if there is one -- lies in the fact that this gives rise to another opportunity for retail pharmacy to demonstrate the critical role it plays in public health crisis management.

(THE NEWS: Calif. health officials address 'whooping cough' outbreak. For the full story, click here)

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT’S IMPORTANT There have been a spate of announcements in the past month around the growing prominence of fresh-food offerings in nontraditional retail settings (aka the corner drug store) that capitalize on the convenience opportunity a typical pharmacy footprint represents. Walgreens announced a move to bring healthier food choices to more inner-city residents, and CVS/pharmacy recently expanded its Urban Cluster store concept featuring a more prominent consumables department. But Rite Aid’s story is not a me-too story.