Dept. Pharmacy

  1. Channel: Drug

Monday Eye Openers

With brief, occasional, italicized and sometimes gratuitous commentary… •  Buyers Line Up To Acquire Rite Aid Assets From Forbes: “CVS Health, Walgreens and grocery store chains Kroger and Albertsons are among the pharmacy operators buying more than 1,000 Rite Aid pharmacy assets from stores to prescription files, the company confirmed. “It’s a going out of […]
2 min read
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  1. Channel: Drug

Rite Aid sells upwards of 1K stores to CVS, Walgreens, others

​[[{“value”:” Dive Brief CVS Health is one of the largest buyers, snapping up prescription files from hundreds of stores and fully acquiring 64 locations. Published May 16, 2025 Rite Aid has agreed to sell more than 1,000 stores to rival pharmacy operators. “Rite Aid Pharmacy, Brookfield, Connecticut” by Mike Mozart is licensed under CC BY […]
< 1 min read
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  1. Channel: Drug

Rite Aid Is Selling 1,000 Stores to Competitors, Including CVS and Walgreens

Defunct pharmacy chain Rite Aid is offloading assets, including over 1,000 stores. Seeing an opportunity, several other retailers, including longtime rivals, are lining up to buy them. So far, CVS Pharmacy is taking the lion’s share. The top drugstore chain in the country wants 625 Rite Aid pharmacies across 15 states as well as 64 […]
2 min read
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  1. Data & Insights

Resetting the Walk-Away Price: How GoodRx Data Reveals New Realities of Prescription Abandonment

Today’s guest post is from Divya Iyer, SVP of Go-to-Market Strategy at GoodRx. Divya shares new GoodRx data showing that out-of-pocket costs at the pharmacy counter remain a primary barrier to medication adherence. Despite the availability of manufacturer-sponsored support programs, many patients still abandon their prescriptions due to high costs. To learn about GoodRx’s prescription […]
2 min read
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  1. Shopper & Customer

Kroger Accused Of Systemic Overcharging Of Customers

Consumer Reports this week published the results of a new investigation, arguing that Kroger shoppers “have been unknowingly paying full price at checkout for scores of items – from meat and vegetables to juice, rice, and alcohol – that have been advertised as discounted or on sale.” CR said that it “began checking grocery prices […]
3 min read
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  1. Media & Marketing

How Large PBMs Make Money Today: A 2025 Drug Channels Update

During my PBM Industry Update: Trends, Challenges, and What’s Ahead video webinar, I explored the latest trends, emerging data, and strategic shifts transforming the pharmacy benefit management (PBM) industry. In the video clip below, I explain how PBM compensation models continue to evolve: Traditional profit sources, such as mail dispensing of nonspecialty drugs and retained […]
2 min read
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  1. Technology & Innovation

Lovehoney lays claim to a first as retailer embeds NHS healthcare via Evaro digital health platform

Lovehoney, an online retailer specialising in adult sex toys and lingerie, has embedded NHS healthcare for its customers via Evaro’s AI powered digital health platform.  The new service, called Lovehoney Prescriptions, is available to its UK users as of today and means it becomes the first retailer to offer a fully online NHS funded contraception […]
2 min read
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  1. Stores & Formats

Rite Aid blames latest bankruptcy on retail operations

​[[“value”:” This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback. For its 2023 bankruptcy, which ended last fall, Rite Aid blamed macroeconomic factors and business challenges arising from the pandemic. For its 2025 bankruptcy, which commenced Monday, the drugstore chain says its front-of-store retail operations are largely at fault. In a letter […]
4 min read
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  1. Trends & External Forces

Center Store Grocery Merchandising with Wakefern’s Jeff Mondelli

The CPGGUYS are joined in this episode by Vice President of grocery merchandising at Wakefern Food Corp. Jeff is a remarkable example of a pharmacist expert and leader now transformed into an everyday grocery merchant. We were so impressed by his leadership, he is the winner of the DSN (Drug store news) + CPGGGUYS retail […]
2 min read
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  1. Channel: Delivery

Wednesday Eye-Openers

With brief, occasional, italicized and sometimes gratuitous commentary… •  DoorDash To Acquire Deliveroo From the New York Times: “DoorDash announced two deals worth billions of dollars on Tuesday, saying it has agreed to acquire Deliveroo, the British food delivery company, and SevenRooms, a platform used by hotels and restaurants to manage reservations and marketing. “The […]
5 min read
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  1. Data & Insights

Claritas Rx’s Webinar: Achieve Specialty Pharma Success with AI: Enhance Care, Elevate Fill Rates by 20% and Improve Patient Adherence

Participate in Claritas Rx’s upcoming webinar to learn innovative strategies designed to increase your fill rates by 20% and enhance patient adherence. The webinar seeks to elevate your operational efficiency and improve patient care standards.  Join Claritas Rx experts as they lead you through methods intended to optimize patient care coordination, featuring an in-depth real-world […]
3 min read
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  1. Channel: Ecommerce & Digital

The Innovation Conversation:  Putting Words In Andy Jassy’s Mouth

A few weeks ago, on the occasion of Amazon CEO Andy Jassy’s annual letter to shareholders, it was suggested here on MNB that after all these years, what Jassy really ought to do is write a letter to customers.  Some of the subjects would be the same but the framing and context would be different. […]
8 min read
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  1. Media & Marketing

Drug Channels News Roundup, April 2025: Amazon Rx Update, Express Scripts’ Spend Trends, Gold Cards, and CMS Acronym Absurdity

Spring has officially arrived at Drug Channels’ worldwide headquarters in beautiful downtown Philadelphia. (Photo proof at right.) So, scurry over to this month’s curated crop of noteworthy news: Amazon Pharmacy is still coming for retail pharmacy Express Scripts revives its long-lost drug trend report Prior authorization gold cards: Progress or peril? Plus, MPPP or not MPPP? […]
2 min read
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  1. Data & Insights

Why Secure, Reliable Connectivity is Mission-Critical for Retailers

Despite the growth of ecommerce, social distancing, high-street closures and a cost-of-living crisis, brick-and-mortar retail remains a major part of the global economy. There were $30.57 trillion USD retail sales worldwide in 2024, with 420 million people employed in the sector. That doesn’t mean that conditions are easy: as well as general economic malaise, cybersecurity […]
4 min read
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  1. Trends & External Forces

SAVE THE DATE: Drug Channels Leadership Forum, March 16-18, 2026

After a blockbuster inaugural event and tremendous feedback from attendees, we’re excited to announce that the Drug Channels Leadership Forum (DCLF) returns on March 16–18, 2026, at the Turnberry Resort & Spa in Miami. This one-of-a-kind, off-the-record event convenes senior leaders across the drug channel to address today’s most pressing industry issues. 👉 Request Your Invitation […]
3 min read
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  1. Media & Marketing

Smaller Pharmacies, Bigger Impact: Inside Manufacturers’ Specialty Networks in 2025

Last week, we examined the growing concentration of specialty drug dispensing revenues among the largest pharmacies. See The Top 15 Specialty Pharmacies of 2024: How PBMs, Health Systems, and Independents Are Shaping the Market. Today, we dive deeper. Drawing from DCI’s new 2025 Economic Report on U.S. Pharmacies and Pharmacy Benefit Managers, we explore how […]
2 min read
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  1. Trends & External Forces

Tuesday Eye-Openers

With brief, occasional, italicized and sometimes gratuitous commentary… •  HHS To Ban Synthetic Food Dyes in Food By End of 2026 From the New York Times: “In his first attempt to significantly change the nation’s food supply, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the health secretary, will direct food manufacturers to phase out eight petroleum-based food dyes […]
7 min read
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  1. Media & Marketing

Visit Drug Channels in Booth #1601 at #Asembia25 for a Special “Ask Adam Anything” (#AAA) Session

Next week, the Drug Channels Institute (DCI) team will be heading to Asembia’s AXS25 Summit at the always fabulous Wynn Las Vegas. Thanks to our friends at HMP Global, we’re thrilled to have our very own DCI booth once again! As you might expect, we’ll be showing up in true Drug Channels style. Be sure […]
2 min read
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  1. Department: Nonfood

Tractor Supply Launches Service to Streamline Pet Prescriptions

Tractor Supply has launched Tractor Supply Rx in a bid to enhance convenience for customers ordering pet and animal medications, with features including automatic delivery through the Autoship program and access to expert pharmacy advice. Tractor Supply Rx also offers a price match guarantee to ensure customers get the best value on their prescription purchases. […]
< 1 min read
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  1. Channel: Mass

Walmart Leverages Geospatial Tech to Expand Delivery to 12 Million New Households

Walmart has deployed geospatial technology to create a data science model that divides geographic areas into precise hexagonal grids, with the goal of optimizing delivery zones for greater efficiency. Redefining how it maps delivery areas has allowed Walmart to expand its reach to 12 million additional households across the U.S., increasing consumer access to same-day […]
2 min read
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  1. Media & Marketing

The Top 15 Specialty Pharmacies of 2024: How PBMs, Health Systems, and Independents Are Shaping the Market

Drug Channels Institute’s (DCI’s) latest analysis reveals that PBM-affiliated specialty pharmacies continue to dominate the dispensing of specialty drugs. DCI has identified nearly 1,900 dispensing locations with specialty pharmacy accreditation. Below, we share DCI’s latest analysis of the top 15 specialty pharmacies, including updated market shares and revenue estimates. As in prior years, pharmacies linked […]
2 min read
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  1. Trends & External Forces

Master the Hidden Economics of Pharmaceuticals—In Under an Hour—with DCI’s New eLearning Modules

In today’s fast-moving pharmaceutical marketplace, insight is everything. Whether you’re building trust with customers, launching new products, or guiding internal teams, understanding the economic forces that shape drug distribution, reimbursement, and pricing is essential. At Drug Channels Institute (DCI), we know how critical this knowledge is—and how hard it can be to find credible, up-to-date […]
4 min read
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  1. Technology & Innovation

Pharmacy chain Dr. Max teams with VusionGroup for store digitalisation push across Europe

VusionGroup has announced a new roll-out with Dr. Max, a pharmacy chain, to deploy its solutions throughout stores across Europe. Dr. Max says it has made the move to digitalise its locations and create a connected store experience for both associates and customers. “VusionGroup’s innovative solutions help us simplify and modernise how our pharmacies operate […]
3 min read
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  1. Media & Marketing

Mapping the Vertical Integration of Insurers, PBMs, Specialty Pharmacies, and Providers: DCI’s 2025 Update and Competitive Outlook

It’s time for Drug Channels’ annual update of vertical integration among insurers, PBMs, specialty pharmacies, and healthcare services within U.S. drug channels. As you can see below, we have revised, renovated, and refurbished our infamous illustration of the major vertical business relationships among the largest companies. Proponents of these vertical integration arrangements argue that they […]
2 min read
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  1. Channel: Grocery

GoodRx Partners with Hy-Vee to Enhance Online Prescription Shopping

GoodRx has streamlined the online prescription purchase process, launching the experience with employee-owned Midwestern supermarket retailer Hy-Vee. When a customer searching for medications on GoodRx selects Hy-Vee as their preferred pharmacy, the system will check for medication inventory, validate the prescription and enable online payment prior to picking up the medication. “Using this new online […]
2 min read
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  1. Trends & External Forces

Inflation-Adjusted U.S. Brand-Name Drug Prices Fell for the Seventh Consecutive Year as a New Era of Drug Pricing Dawns (rerun)

This week, I’m rerunning some popular posts while I prepare for today’s live video webinar: PBM Industry Update: Trends, Challenges, and What’s Ahead. Click here to see the original post from January 2025. It’s time for Drug Channels’ annual examination of U.S. brand-name drug pricing. For 2024, average brand-name drugs’ list prices grew by only […]
3 min read
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Charted: How Do U.S. Universities Make Their Money?

See this visualization first on the Voronoi app. Use This Visualization Charted: How Are American Universities Funded? This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources. Key Takeaways More than half of American public college and […]
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  1. Channel: Delivery
  2. Channel: Ecommerce & Digital
  3. Corporate Strategy
  4. Media & Marketing
  5. Data & Insights
  6. Technology & Innovation

Week in Review: Instacart CEO heads to OpenAI

Welcome back to Week in Review! We’ve got lots of news for you this week: There were CEO shake-ups at Instacart and 11x; the web series is back — kind of; Threads is getting video ads; and much more. Let’s get to it! Big move: Instacart CEO Fidji Simo will become OpenAI’s CEO for Applications, […]
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  1. Technology & Innovation
  2. Channel: Ecommerce & Digital
  3. Channel: Mass
  4. Acquisitions, Divestitures & Mergers
  5. Corporate Strategy
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  7. Corporate Purpose
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  10. International
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  14. Associates & Employees
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What’s next for Instacart as CEO Fidji Simo announces decision to join OpenAI as head of applications?

Instacart CEO Fidji Simo is departing the grocery technology company to join OpenAI as its Chief of Applications. In an email to employees, she said: “Let me start by saying this was an incredibly hard decision because I love this company. We are operating incredibly well as our last earnings results have shown. Our strategy […]
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  1. Technology & Innovation
  2. Channel: Dollar/Value
  3. Channel: Grocery
  4. Channel: Mass
  5. Department & Category
  6. Department: Nonfood
  7. Corporate Strategy
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Personalized Disruption: Grocery’s Secret to Breaking Old Habits

There’s no shortage of talk about technology that’s going to redefine, dominate, or transform retail this year. Much of this language boils down to marketing speech, and often, true industry disruption fails to materialize. There is no shortage of tech hyperbole in retail. But then there’s the occasional exception — a technology that genuinely does […]
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  1. Shopper & Customer
  2. Department: Nonfood
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State of the Consumer Report

[Week of May 9] Timely insights on consumer behavior, pricing, and retail trends This weekly snapshot highlights the most relevant signals shaping where and how consumers are spending—from e-commerce and inflation shifts to essential vs. discretionary demand. What you’ll get from this week’s report: Cross-border e-commerce slowdown: Learn how tariff pressures are reshaping sales trends […]
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