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The majority of pharmacies in the United States now offer vaccinations, but there is still significant opportunity to turn a well-run vaccination program into a profitable endeavor that benefits both patient and pharmacy...According to the CDC, just 37.1% of adults received the flu vaccine during the 2017-2018 flu season. This presents a significant opportunity for pharmacies to improve these numbers by expanding their immunization efforts, marketing their programs to the community, and relying on what makes a pharmacy a unique healthcare setting...READ MORE

According to the Association for Accessible Medicines 2019 report with data from IQVIA, generic drug savings totaled $293 billion in 2018, which resulted in a 10-year savings of almost $2 trillion. Other key findings include that 4 billion generic prescriptions were filled across the U.S. in 2018, which is 90% of all dispensed prescriptions. Additionally, 95% of generic prescriptions were filled at $20 or less with an average copay of $5.63 whereas the average brand copay is $40.65. In 2017, patients who were prescribed more expensive brand products were 2-3 times more likely to leave the pharmacy without their prescriptions...There were 68,353 pharmacy stores that provided cash prices for the study; results revealed that independent pharmacies and small chains had the highest cash prices for generic drugs, while big box pharmacies had the lowest prices compared with large chains...READ MORE

With conditions like dementia and Alzheimer’s disease on the rise, providing in-store cognitive screening can fulfill an unmet need and could be an opportunity for pharmacies to advance their self-care initiatives...“There is an opportunity for retail pharmacists to take the lead in testing for early cognitive decline — in particular testing when it matters most, when a patient can take action to modify underlying risk factors...The proactive management of modifiable risk factors can delay or slow the onset or progression of the cognitive decline...“As retail pharmacy clinical services continue to evolve, cognitive screening can play an integral role in identifying individuals who will benefit most from early detection so they can make lifestyle modifications to lead healthier, better lives,”...READ MORE

New technology, enabling consumers to read packaging labels written in any language, will become the norm for the pharmaceutical industry within 12 months...A prototype video, shown on the Third Aurora website, demonstrates the solution with a prototype package being translated from English to Spanish, German, Russian, and Japanese...Behind the scenes, two technologies are at work. According to Chaffey, “Artificial intelligence reads and interprets the content and augmented reality projects the new text back onto the label.”...READ MORE

It’s no secret that healthcare is in a state of rapid shifts—it has been for a long time, and it shows no sign of slowing in its evolution—and pharmacy is no exception. From independents to big box to large chains to hospitals, every pharmacist is going to feel (and is already feeling) significant changes...Perhaps the greatest shift in recent years, however, has come from chains. Changes in chains affect not only the pharmacists working in those chains, but show how pharmacy as a whole is evolving...READ MORE

With eight months of data under their belts, CVS Health is seeing strong performance out of its early HealthHUB retail stores in the Houston area...CEO Larry Merlo said on the company's earnings call...that these concept stores, which dedicate more than 20% of retail space to health services, outperform control retail pharmacies in script volume, MinuteClinic visits, front store sales, foot traffic and store margin..."rapid rollout" of the HealthHUB stores is proceeding on track, he said, with the healthcare giant expanding into three additional metro areas by the end of this year. CVS plans to transform 1,500 of its stores into HealthHUBs by 2021...READ MORE

California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill...that will make HIV-prevention drugs available without a prescription. It allows pharmacists to dispense both PrEP, or preexposure prophylaxis, and PEP, post-exposure prophylaxis...The legislation also prohibits insurance companies from requiring patients to obtain prior authorization before using their benefits to obtaining the medications...The law requires pharmacists to provide instruction on using the prophylaxis, as well as its possible side effects...READ MORE

Walgreens retail clinic business has been floundering. Last week, Walgreens announced that it would shut the last of its in-house retail clinics and in favor of outsourcing clinic operations to hospitals and health systems...Other retailers are investing in more expansive healthcare services to realize the promise of store-based healthcare. That’s one reason why CVS Health is rolling out its HealthHUBs, while Walmart is phasing out its traditional retail clinics in favor of a more comprehensive Walmart Health offering...Many large retail chains operate clinics, but their strategies and growth rates differ. I expect the traditional retail clinic model to fade in favor of locations with broader healthcare services. This new direction will put pharmacies in more direct competition with urgent care clinics and primary care providers...READ MORE

Amazon is going places with its free package pickup. The company has expanded its Counter pickup option to thousands of locations through its new store partners GNC, Stage Stores and Health Mart pharmacies...“For six years, my pharmacy team has served our community and made sure our patients get the care they need,” said Laura Temple, pharmacist and owner of Laura’s Health Mart Pharmacy in Azle, Texas. “Amazon Hub Counter has given my current patients a new, convenient way to pick up their Amazon packages, and it’s also brought in new neighbors who have then been introduced to the meaningful care at my pharmacy. I’m delighted to offer Counter in my local store.”...READ MORE

Penn Foster announced...that its unique upskilling platform for health care has been selected by Walmart as part of an ambitious initiative designed to prepare workers for opportunities in high-demand health professional fields. A pioneer in middle-skills training, Penn Foster’s digital platform enables employers to deliver on-demand, career-specific coursework through a blended online and work-based learning skills development program...Walmart’s 1.5 million associates in the U.S. will now be able pursue roles as opticians or pharmacy technicians through a flexible, online curriculum that costs learners just $1 per day...READ MORE