INSIDER
Walgreens to close 1,200 stores as US pharmacies struggle to define a new role
Read full article: Walgreens to close 1,200 stores as US pharmacies struggle to define a new roleWalgreens is planning to close around 1,200 locations, as the drugstore chain and its rivals struggle to define their role for U.S. shoppers who no longer look to them first for convenience.
Walgreens to pay $106M to settle allegations it submitted false payment claims for prescriptions
Read full article: Walgreens to pay $106M to settle allegations it submitted false payment claims for prescriptionsWalgreens agreed to pay $106 million to settle lawsuits that alleged it submitted false payment claims with government health care programs for prescriptions that were never dispensed.
Lawsuit filed in case of teen who died after eating spicy chip as part of online challenge
Read full article: Lawsuit filed in case of teen who died after eating spicy chip as part of online challengeA lawsuit has been filed in the case of a Massachusetts teen who died after participating in a spicy tortilla chip challenge on social media.
Walgreens to take a hard look at underperforming stores, could shutter hundreds more
Read full article: Walgreens to take a hard look at underperforming stores, could shutter hundreds moreWalgreens is finalizing a plan to fix its business that could result in the closure of hundreds of additional stores in the next three years.
As pharmacies shutter, some Western states, Black and Latino communities are left behind
Read full article: As pharmacies shutter, some Western states, Black and Latino communities are left behindUrban and rural communities have come to depend on pharmacies as a trusted care option and a place for advice.
Walgreens to pay $275,000 to settle allegations in Vermont about service during pandemic
Read full article: Walgreens to pay $275,000 to settle allegations in Vermont about service during pandemicWalgreens has agreed to pay $275,000 to settle allegations about service in some of the national pharmacy chain's Vermont stores during the coronavirus pandemic.
Drugstore chain Walgreens cuts quarterly dividend to get more cash to grow its business
Read full article: Drugstore chain Walgreens cuts quarterly dividend to get more cash to grow its businessWalgreens is chopping its dividend nearly in half as the drugstore chain looks to strengthen its balance sheet.
Man brandishes knife, yells at employees during robbery of East Side Walgreens, police say
Read full article: Man brandishes knife, yells at employees during robbery of East Side Walgreens, police saySan Antonio police and Crime Stoppers are looking for the person responsible for a robbery that happened at an East Side Walgreens back in October.
Pharmacists prescribe another round of US protests to highlight working conditions
Read full article: Pharmacists prescribe another round of US protests to highlight working conditionsDrugstore employees around the country have started calling in sick to highlight a lack of support from their employers.
Walgreens pharmacy staffers stage walkouts over work conditions
Read full article: Walgreens pharmacy staffers stage walkouts over work conditionsWalgreens has named a new CEO as pharmacy staff walked off the job this week over concerns that working conditions are putting employees and patients at risk.
Nevada secures $285M opioid settlement with Walgreens, bringing total settlements to $1 billion
Read full article: Nevada secures $285M opioid settlement with Walgreens, bringing total settlements to $1 billionThe state of Nevada has reached a $285 million settlement with Walgreens regarding the pharmacy chain’s role in the opioid epidemic.
San Francisco DA releases video of Walgreens security guard fatally shooting alleged shoplifter
Read full article: San Francisco DA releases video of Walgreens security guard fatally shooting alleged shoplifterSan Francisco’s district attorney has released surveillance video of the shooting death of a suspected shoplifter by an on-duty Walgreens security guard.
Fingerprints found on Sprite bottle leads to arrest of robbery suspect, SAPD says
Read full article: Fingerprints found on Sprite bottle leads to arrest of robbery suspect, SAPD saysA search for a robbery suspect came to a close after officers were able to identify her through fingerprints found on a Sprite bottle at one of the crime scenes, according to San Antonio police.
Reward offered for info on gunman who killed 30-year-old man during argument outside Walgreens on West Side
Read full article: Reward offered for info on gunman who killed 30-year-old man during argument outside Walgreens on West SideSan Antonio police and Crime Stoppers are asking for the public’s help in identifying the person who shot and killed a man during an argument at a Walgreens parking lot.
Walgreens push into comprehensive care picks up momentum
Read full article: Walgreens push into comprehensive care picks up momentumWalgreens extended its push into more comprehensive health care with its VillageMD unit acquiring another urgent and primary care chain, Summit Health-CityMD, in a deal worth close to $9 billion.
Judge: Pharmacies owe 2 Ohio counties $650M in opioids suit
Read full article: Judge: Pharmacies owe 2 Ohio counties $650M in opioids suitA federal judge in Cleveland has awarded $650 million in damages to two Ohio counties that sued pharmacy chains CVS, Walgreens and Walmart saying their opioid distribution policies created a public nuisance.
Judge: Walgreens contributed to San Francisco opioid crisis
Read full article: Judge: Walgreens contributed to San Francisco opioid crisisA federal judge has ruled that Walgreens can be held responsible for contributing to San Francisco’s opioid crisis for over-dispensing opioids for years without proper oversight and failing to identify and report suspicious orders as required by law.
Walgreens, Florida settle opioid costs lawsuit for $683M
Read full article: Walgreens, Florida settle opioid costs lawsuit for $683MThe Walgreens pharmacy chain has reached a $683 million settlement with the state of Florida in a lawsuit accusing the company of improperly dispensing millions of painkillers that contributed to the opioid crisis.
Free N95 masks are being distributed in the San Antonio area. Here’s where to get yours.
Read full article: Free N95 masks are being distributed in the San Antonio area. Here’s where to get yours.Free N95 masks are starting to be distributed in the San Antonio area this weekend, as part of the Biden Administration’s initiative to help combat the spread of the omicron COVID-19 variant.
Jury in Elizabeth Holmes trial hears replay of her boasts
Read full article: Jury in Elizabeth Holmes trial hears replay of her boastsJurors in the fraud trial of former Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes returned to the courtroom Thursday to listen to a replay of audio recordings that captured her brash promises about a vaunted blood-testing technology the propelled her meteoric rise and scandalous downfall.
Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes faces cross-examination
Read full article: Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes faces cross-examinationThe fraud trial of fallen Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes is set to resume Tuesday with continued cross-examination of Holmes and possible expert psychological testimony.
CVS Health to close hundreds of drugstores over next 3 years
Read full article: CVS Health to close hundreds of drugstores over next 3 yearsCVS Health will close hundreds of drugstores over the next three years, as the health care giant adjusts to changing customer needs and converts to new store formats.
US hiring slows as delta variant weakens travel and tourism
Read full article: US hiring slows as delta variant weakens travel and tourismAmerica’s employers added just 235,000 jobs in August, a modest gain after two months of robust hiring at a time when the delta variant’s spread has discouraged some people from flying, shopping and eating out.
COVID-19 positivity rate climbs to 11.2% in Bexar County just one week after Fourth of July
Read full article: COVID-19 positivity rate climbs to 11.2% in Bexar County just one week after Fourth of JulyCOVID-19 cases and the positivity rate are continuing to climb in Bexar County, just one week after Fourth of July celebrations, according to Metro Health.
Governors applaud Biden's vaccine timeline, but need supply
Read full article: Governors applaud Biden's vaccine timeline, but need supplyIn Virginia, state vaccine coordinator Dr. Danny Avula said the state could hit Biden’s goal earlier. But several governors cautioned it must come with a dramatic increase in vaccine supply. “It could be a delay for people to actually get a vaccine because of the operational constraints," she said. We can’t disappoint people who eagerly want a vaccine,” said Pat Allen, director of the Oregon Health Authority. Elsewhere, governors met Biden's goal with enthusiasm.
The Latest: Kentucky urges Black citizens to get vaccinated
Read full article: The Latest: Kentucky urges Black citizens to get vaccinatedJim Thurman counts himself among the converts who recognize the importance of taking a COVID-19 vaccine. AdHealth authorities say first-generation COVID-19 vaccines still protect against variants of the virus that are emerging in different parts of the world. AdIn a separate announcement, Moderna also said it plans to manufacture 700 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine globally this year, up from 600 million. Bosnia, a country of 3.3 million, expects 1.2 million vaccines through COVAX. On Wednesday, Ghana has become the first country to receive COVID-19 vaccines through COVAX.
Anxiety grows as long-term care awaits COVID-19 vaccines
Read full article: Anxiety grows as long-term care awaits COVID-19 vaccinesThat includes both nursing homes, where residents get 24-hour-a-day medical care; assisted living facilities, where people generally need less help; and other types of group homes. In many places, home operators and residents' relatives have watched with frustration as states opened vaccine eligibility to other populations before the work in long-term care homes was finished. The government tasked CVS and Walgreens with administering the shots to long-term care locations in nearly every state. Severine Petras watched a COVID-19 outbreak develop at a Pennsylvania assisted living home her company operates a couple weeks before the first vaccines arrived. As of Sunday morning, 3.5 million doses have been given in long-term care facilities, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Walgreens taps Starbucks exec Brewer as its new CEO
Read full article: Walgreens taps Starbucks exec Brewer as its new CEOFILE - Starbucks COO Roz Brewer talks about the proposed redesign of a Starbucks store in New Jersey as she speaks Wednesday, March 20, 2019, during the company's annual shareholders meeting in Seattle. Walgreens has tapped Roz Brewer as its new CEO, which will make her the only Black woman currently leading a Fortune 500 company. Brewer will take over as Walgreens CEO on March 15, 2021 after a little more than three years as Starbucks' chief operating officer. At Starbucks, Brewer revamped stores, taking out clutter and cutting down on administrative work so employees could focus on customers and speed up service. Prior to joining Starbucks, Brewer served as president and CEO of Sam’s Club, the members-only warehouse channel of Walmart Inc. She also grew membership and improved merchandise there.
States will start getting COVID-19 vaccine Monday, US says
Read full article: States will start getting COVID-19 vaccine Monday, US saysTrucks will roll out Sunday morning as shipping companies UPS and FedEx begin delivering Pfizer’s vaccine to nearly 150 distribution centers across the states, said Army Gen. Gustave Perna of Operation Warp Speed, the Trump administration’s vaccine development program. Initially, about 3 million doses were expected to be shipped nationwide. Perna compared the vaccine distribution effort to D-Day, the U.S.-led military offensive that turned the tide in World War II. The vaccine was timed to arrive Monday so health workers could receive the shots and begin giving them, Perna said. The announcement came after revelations that the White House opted not to lock in an additional 100 million doses of Pfizer’s vaccine for delivery in the second quarter of 2021.
Vaccine rollout could ease crisis, but who gets it first?
Read full article: Vaccine rollout could ease crisis, but who gets it first?In October, a panel advising the federal government suggested setting aside 10% of the vaccine supply to distribute as an extra boost to the states with greater shares of disadvantaged groups. Vulnerable people will face more rationing in states such as New Mexico that have higher shares of vulnerable people. The analysis shows 15 states and Washington, D.C., have the largest shares of vulnerable, low-income minorities. A federal set-aside is not the only way to get vaccine to vulnerable neighborhoods. In their vaccination plans, 18 states have said they will consider race and income as they map out vaccine distribution.
Amazon opens online pharmacy, shaking up another industry
Read full article: Amazon opens online pharmacy, shaking up another industryThe retail colossus opened an online pharmacy Tuesday that allows customers to order medication or prescription refills, and have them delivered to their front door in a couple of days. All have upped online services and touted their abilities to deliver prescriptions and other goods as the COVID-19 pandemic has pushed more consumers to stay home. The company said its online pharmacy will offer commonly prescribed medications in the U.S., including creams, pills, as well as medications that need to stay refrigerated, like insulin. They can also get discounts at 50,000 physical pharmacies around the country at Costco, CVS, Walgreens, Walmart and other stores. Two years ago, it spent $750 million to buy online pharmacy PillPack, which organizes medication in packets by what time and day they need to be taken.
Man brandishing handgun robs South Side Walgreens, police say
Read full article: Man brandishing handgun robs South Side Walgreens, police saySAN ANTONIO – A man in his 20s wielding a gun robbed a South Side Walgreens late Sunday night, San Antonio police said. Officers were called just before 10 p.m. to a Walgreens store in the 2700 block of Nogalitos Street, not far from West Theo Avenue, after receiving word of a robbery. According to police, the man entered the store and walked around briefly just before exiting and returning inside. That’s when, police said, the man placed some merchandise on the counter and showed the store clerk a gun in his waistband. Police said the man demanded money from the store clerk, took the cash and fled.
Feds planning now to get coronavirus shots to nursing homes
Read full article: Feds planning now to get coronavirus shots to nursing homesUnder the voluntary program, trained staff from CVS and Walgreens would deliver the vaccines to each nursing home and administer shots. The nation has 15,000-16,000 nursing homes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The use of retail chain pharmacies has prompted some concerns, because nursing homes typically deal with specialized pharmacies and not the big drugstores catering to consumers. Mango said the plan would accommodate nursing homes that want to continue to work with specialized pharmacies. HHS Secretary Alex Azar said the program will “provide convenient and free vaccination to residents of nursing homes across America.”
Judge rejects pharmacy chains' bid to toss opioid suits
Read full article: Judge rejects pharmacy chains' bid to toss opioid suits(AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)CLEVELAND Lawsuits filed by two Ohio counties against retail pharmacy chains claiming their opioid dispensing practices flooded communities with pain pills and were a a public nuisance can continue, a federal judge in Cleveland has determined. U.S. District Judge Dan Polster rejected the pharmacy chains' motion to dismiss the suits, ruling Thursday that the Ohio law does indeed apply to Lake and Trumbull counties' nuisance claims. Polster is overseeing more than 2,000 lawsuits filed by local governments, tribal authorities and others against companies they blame for fueling an opioid epidemic that has killed 430,000 people since 2000. The two northeast Ohio counties' lawsuits against CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid, Walmart and Giant Eagle were the first to target retail pharmacy chains as both distributors and dispensers of painkillers. Those claims seek damages from the retail chains as distributors of painkillers but not as dispensers.
Walgreens lost $1.7B in 3Q as global pandemic tightened grip
Read full article: Walgreens lost $1.7B in 3Q as global pandemic tightened gripWalgreens quarter ended May 31, encapsulating a three-month period in which consumer activity came to a screeching halt. Walgreens furloughed more than 16,000 employees at the peak of the pandemic in the United Kingdom. Sales at its Boots stores there dropped nearly 28% on a constant currency basis. Shares of Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. slumped 9%, close to a new low for the year. The pandemic accelerated changes planned for its Boots stores, which includes closing optician locations and reducing staff at the U.K. support office.
Friday Freebies - Dec 20
Read full article: Friday Freebies - Dec 20Looking for some Christmas music to play during Christmas Eve gatherings or at Christmas dinner? Right now, you can download an album with 13+ hours of Christmas music for just 99 cents. If you want something a little different, Amazon does have some free songs available. Every five days, they are releasing a set of Christmas songs for you to download for free. If your child needs a little help believing in Santa, then why not have the jolly ole' elf send a video for you child.