Drug store real estate executives should take note: Today, 1-in-3 Americans are over their ideal weight; in 20 years, that number will be 1-in-every-2.

Southeastern discount banner Fred's on Thursday morning reported that the consumer continues to be challenged by economic pressures.

The National Community Pharmacists Association last week delivered a letter to the Illinois Joint Committee on Administrative Rules opposing an Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services proposal to sharply decrease Medicaid reimbursements and “slow-walk” reimbursement payments.

Nice! may tout no-frills packaging, but make no mistake, Walgreens' latest private-label introduction is anything but. It's another example of Joe Magnacca's influence as president of daily living solutions; and it's another way by which Walgreens will better connect to its customers.

Perrigo is planning to launch more than 45 new products in fiscal 2012 that will translate into approximately $190 million added to annual Perrigo sales, Perrigo chairman, president and CEO Joe Papa told analysts during the company's fourth-quarter conference call Tuesday.

There’s no doubt that the industry is still coming to terms with the unexpected passing of ECRM CEO and founder Charlie Bowlus — a longtime industry veteran whose passion and humility touched so many lives.

It's a strategic next step in retail pharmacy, a setting that has fast evolved as the intrinsic destination for all health-related matters: health advice, self-care solutions, medication therapy management, compliance programs, acute-care services and now, if the reports turn out to be accurate, branded healthcare insurance.

Fruth Pharmacy last week celebrated its 20th Annual Scholarship Golf Tournament here, raising more than $50,000 toward the more than 15 scholarships awarded by Fruth each year.

Traditional retailers today are marshalling their online resources to complement their brick-and-mortar stores, and retail pharmacies have an opportunity to use websites, social networking, smartphone applications and various combinations thereof to own multichannel customers.

In his July 20 letter to benefit consultants, Walgreens president of pharmacy, health and wellness Kermit Crawford made a direct appeal to plan sponsors to either “select a PBM that includes Walgreens” or consider “direct arrangements with plans currently using Express Scripts, to the extent permitted by their contracts.” The letter also included an attached “template agreement that can be used to implement such direct arrangements where permitted,” for consideration.

If the rumors that surfaced last week about Walmart eyeing Rite Aid for a possible buyout turn out to be true, it would be one of the biggest stories of the year: Walmart would acquire the country’s third-largest drug store chain and more than double its U.S. store count.

There are few certainties in life — death, taxes and the fact that you can get one heck of a healthcare bargain at your local pharmacy counter. And thanks in no small part to the industry associations advocating for pharmacy — including the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, the National Community Pharmacists Association and the Consumer Healthcare Products Association — the lawmakers on the Hill are finally “getting it.”