Personnel Updates:

McKesson announced that pharmacy veteran Chris Dimos has joined as Senior VP Corporate Strategy and Business Development, reporting to Brian Tyler, McKesson Exec VP Corporate Strategy and Business Development, Also joining McKesson is Melanie Nallicheri as Senior VP McKesson Distribution Solutions.

Rexall Pharma Plus named Mary Kelly Exec VP and Chief Merchandising Officer. Ms. Kelly joins the company after four years as Executive VP at Shoppers Drug Mart. Before then, she held leadership positions at Target, Revco Drug Stores and Eli Lilly.

Financial Focus:

Walgreens reported fiscal 2013 sales of $72.2 billion

Industry Insight:

A new drug store location in Seattle’s Greenwood neighborhood will mark Bartell Drugs’ 80^th anniversary of operation there.  The store, housed in a former Blockbuster location, will be one of the largest in the chain at 16,085 square feet and feature Bartell’s ‘Next Generation’ format. The concept was developed in 2011 and has continued with new store openings through this year. The format includes its ‘Urban Market,’ ‘Sweets and Snacks,’ and ‘Fresh Beauty’ sections as well as an enlarged full-service pharmacy and a ‘Greenwood Growler Station’ offering six regionally produced beers.

WellStar Health System and Walgreens announced a clinical collaboration agreement that will provide coordinated and expanded health care services, while improving access to high-quality, convenient and affordable care for patients in the northwest Atlanta market.

Real Estate:

The first MinuteClinic walk-in medical clinics in Northern California and the Bay Area have opened inside select CVS/pharmacy stores in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties.  MinuteClinic is a division of CVS Caremark Corporation and the largest provider of retail medical clinics in the United States. 

Technology News:

Walgreens today announced the latest updates to its iPhone mobile app that allows users to create photo cards with special themes such as thank you, holidays, announcements and invitations. Unique collages also can be created directly from an iPhone. Walgreens is the first retailer to provide the ability to create collage prints using a mobile device and pick them up in about an hour. Photos for these creations easily can be uploaded from the user’s phone, Facebook or Instagram albums.