Drug Store News spoke with Adam Holyk, Walgreens divisional VP loyalty and consumer insights, about the newly created consumer insights team focused on enhancing Walgreens’ engagement with its patients and customers, and how it will help complement Walgreens’ marketing efforts.
Social media ranks as one of those technologies that has changed the world in many ways, allowing networking across the world, sharing of thoughts and events from people’s lives, embarrassment of public figures and, more recently, even helping to feed political revolutions.
It’s been more than 200 years since the first successful test of a vaccine against smallpox, and since then, vaccines have become one of the most important means of preventing and eradicating infectious diseases, ranging from minor ailments like the flu to devastating ones like polio.
Customer loyalty has always been paramount for retailers, but as we wade into 2012 and beyond, it is becoming increasingly evident that retailers have a renewed focus on establishing a strong sense of loyalty and creating an engaging customer experience through cross-channel initiatives that are touching customers both in and — perhaps more importantly — out of the store.
It was the cough, cold and flu season that wasn’t. The percentage of patient visits on account of influenza-like illnesses never eclipsed the 2.4% baseline that typically marks the beginning and end of a flu season.
A typical retail pharmacy is equipped to handle most of the prescription needs of its customers, whether they have a skin rash, chronic illness or the need for a vaccination against the flu or shingles.
“We want to make sure we’re talking to our members where and how they want to be spoken to.” That was something Sam’s Club VP health and family care Jason Reiser said to me for the special report we did on the company that appeared on the cover of our April 2 issue.
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Increases in the prices of prescription drugs have far outpaced the rate of general inflation over the years, as increases in the prices of branded and specialty drugs have offset decreases in the prices of generics, according to a new report by AARP’s research arm.
A guest column in the March 12 issue of DSN, “Let me tell you what PBMs do,” by Republican Utah State Rep. Evan Vickers, really set off a firestorm of debate on DrugStoreNews.com and on DSN’s social media sites.
While the in-store experience is still important to many shoppers, greater consumer adoption of emerging technologies is undoubtedly reshaping the retail landscape.
In January, specialty pharmacy group contracting organization Armada Health Care introduced ApproveRx, a Web-based system that it says will greatly streamline the prior authorization process and already has been adopted by Amber Pharmacy. Meanwhile, the company also is gearing up for the Armada Summit at the Wynn Las Vegas Hotel in May.
Glamour magazine, in cooperation with technology partners SpyderLynk and Buck, set up in New York City a shoppable wall stocked with beauty products that enabled consumers to buy items using their mobile phones.
Morrisons, the large U.K.-based supermarket chain, wanted to get closer to its customers. The result was M Local, its new 3,000-sq.-ft., freestanding, convenience food format.
“How does that help me sell more cases, pallets and truckloads?” That’s a question I have been asked repeatedly, particularly as the world of retail pharmacy has evolved to play a larger role in health care. With that, the business that we cover in Drug Store News has become incredibly more complicated.
According to the American Diabetes Association’s latest figures, 79 million Americans have prediabetes, but only 1-out-of-10 knows it. That suggests a terrific upside in the market of diabetes-testing supplies and diabetes-supportive products as more of those Americans become aware of their condition.
In the Feb. 7, 2011, issue, Drug Store News named three major issues that would define 2011 for the world of generic drugs. Those issues were drug safety, generic user fees and patent settlements.
Record-breaking attendance and four panel discussions on such topics as specialty pharmacy and diabetes set the stage for the 13th annual Drug Store News Industry Issues Summit held on Nov. 29 in New York City.
Walgreens’ contract with Express Scripts expired, and millions of Walgreens customers covered by ESI were forced to either move their pharmacy business or come up with some other way to stick with Walgreens. Drug Store News interviewed Walgreens president and CEO Greg Wasson on what the company is doing to hold on to those customers and how it is appealing to payers.