Anthem Blue Cross will indefinitely suspend a policy that would require many specialty pharmacy patients in California, most of them HIV patients, to receive their drugs via mail order in order to receive coverage for them, drawing criticism from patients and retail pharmacies.

Two-hundred-ninety billion dollars. That’s the number often thrown around when health experts talk about what medication nonadherence costs patients, insurers, health plan payers and the U.S. economy every year. And of course, dollar estimates say nothing about the impact that nonadherence has on patients and their families in higher chronic and acute disease rates, reduced quality of life and shortened lifespans.

So the failure by patients to take their meds as prescribed is a big deal. And it’s gotten a lot of attention from payers in the last couple of years because it’s one of the most obvious levers to pull as public and private health plan sponsors struggle to get a grip on the astronomical and still-expanding cost of health care in the United States.

Walgreens and Alliance Boots will generate $130 billion or more in combined sales, Greg Wasson, Walgreens president and CEO told analysts Wednesday.

During its fourth-quarter conference call on Wednesday, CVS Caremark officially unveiled its foray into the international drug store space with the acquisition of Brazilian retailer Onofre, the eighth-largest drug chain in Brazil.

Now that the other shoe has dropped, what's next?

While chains are prevalent, Brazil remains a highly fragmented market that is clearly ripe with opportunities thanks, in part, to an aging population, a decline in unemployment and a rise in incomes.

CVS Caremark executives expressed optimism Wednesday morning as the company posted record fourth-quarter results, raised its 2013 guidance and continues to work to leverage its distinctive business model to help people on their path to better health amid a rapidly changing healthcare environment.

CVS Caremark has launched what it called the "latest evolution" of its ExtraCare loyalty card program.

Continuing to assist those who were affected by Hurricane Sandy, the CVS Caremark Charitable Trust, a private foundation created by CVS Caremark, announced on Friday that it is donating $50,000 to the Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund.

CVS Caremark’s MinuteClinic and Barnabas Health in New Jersey have signed a clinical collaboration to enhance access to healthcare services in Monmouth and Ocean counties.

CVS Caremark, in partnership with the Rhode Island National Guard and Reserve, sponsored a "Hiring Our Heroes" hiring fair at the National Guard Armory in Warwick, R.I. Tuesday morning.

Costco announced in its January 2013 magazine that it would begin offering pharmacy benefit management services, targeting small businesses and highlighting a 200-employee company based in Washington state.

It remains to be seen whether the club retailer's efforts to compete with the existing PBM businesses of companies like CVS Caremark, Walgreens and Walmart will be successful, and analysts like Citi's Deborah Weinswig appear skeptical that they will. But whatever the outcome, it's clear that Costco is looking to compete in a bigger way.

CVS Caremark and the United Food & Commercial Workers have announced that they have signed a cooperation agreement giving CVS/pharmacy employees at approximately 500 stores in the metropolitan Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Diego areas the opportunity to vote on whether or not they want to be represented by the union.