WEATHER ALERT
CVS Health chops 2024 forecast as cost struggles with Medicare Advantage persist
Read full article: CVS Health chops 2024 forecast as cost struggles with Medicare Advantage persistCVS Health missed first-quarter expectations and chopped its 2024 outlook more than a dollar below Wall Street’s forecast.
Sylvester Stallone to ‘permanently’ leave California, announces he’s moving to Florida
Read full article: Sylvester Stallone to ‘permanently’ leave California, announces he’s moving to FloridaHollywood actor Sylvester Stallone said he will permanently leave California and will be moving to Florida, according to an announcement he made during his reality TV show “The Family Stallone.”
CVS Health grows more cautious about 2024 as it deals with rising Medicare Advantage costs
Read full article: CVS Health grows more cautious about 2024 as it deals with rising Medicare Advantage costsBusy Medicare Advantage businesses have CVS Health and other insurance providers spooked about the new year.
SmileDirectClub shuts down months after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection
Read full article: SmileDirectClub shuts down months after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protectionSmileDirectClub is shutting down — just months after the struggling teeth-straightening company filed for bankruptcy protection.
CVS Health lays out changes to clarify prescription drug pricing that may save some customers money
Read full article: CVS Health lays out changes to clarify prescription drug pricing that may save some customers moneyCVS Health is introducing changes to how its prescription drug pricing model works, and that could lead to some savings for customers starting next year.
Check your eye drops, certain products can cause an eye infection
Read full article: Check your eye drops, certain products can cause an eye infectionThe FDA issued warnings about 27 eye drop products that contain bacteria that could cause eye infections and potentially lead to vision loss or blindness.
CVS Health turns in better-than-expected 2Q even as pharmacy pricing, increased care use hurt
Read full article: CVS Health turns in better-than-expected 2Q even as pharmacy pricing, increased care use hurtCVS Health topped second-quarter expectations, but the health care giant’s profit sank as pricing pressure hurt its drugstore business and rising medical costs hit the health insurance side.
CVS pharmacies in Florida roll out time-delay safes to deter drug robberies
Read full article: CVS pharmacies in Florida roll out time-delay safes to deter drug robberiesAll 838 CVS Pharmacy locations throughout Florida, including those in Target stores, have new time-delay safe technology installed, News4JAX sister station WKMG reported.
20 attorneys general warn Walgreens, CVS over abortion pills
Read full article: 20 attorneys general warn Walgreens, CVS over abortion pillsAttorneys general in 20 conservative-led states are warning CVS and Walgreens that they could face legal consequences if they sell abortion pills by mail in those states.
Florida health agency issues notice to providers following FDA decision on mifepristone
Read full article: Florida health agency issues notice to providers following FDA decision on mifepristoneThe Food and Drug Administration recently made a regulatory change, paving the way for the sale of mifepristone at retail pharmacies — and executives at Walgreens and CVS have both said they plan to carry it where it’s permitted.
Terrell Owens says man he punched at CVS threatened him, fan
Read full article: Terrell Owens says man he punched at CVS threatened him, fanRetired NFL star Terrell Owens said a fight caught on camera in which he punched a man in a CVS parking lot was the result of an “aggressor” threatening him and a fan he was talking to at the California store.
CVS Health tops forecasts, reserves billions for settlement
Read full article: CVS Health tops forecasts, reserves billions for settlementCVS Health booked a third-quarter loss of more than $3 billion after setting aside money for a potential opioid litigation settlement but still beat expectations and raised its 2022 forecast.
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 to decide how much pharmacies owe over opioid crisis
Read full article: Judge to decide how much pharmacies owe over opioid crisisA hearing began Tuesday in federal court in Cleveland that will help a judge determine how much CVS, Walgreens and Walmart should pay two northeast Ohio counties to help them ease the continuing opioid crisis.
Free N95 masks arrive in Jacksonville, but some stores still waiting for shipments
Read full article: Free N95 masks arrive in Jacksonville, but some stores still waiting for shipmentsHighly-protective N95 masks being offered for free by the federal government have started arriving in Northeast Florida.
People in Jacksonville line up for COVID-19 tests as omicron variant spreads
Read full article: People in Jacksonville line up for COVID-19 tests as omicron variant spreadsWith the spread of the omicron variant and the holidays around the corner -- many people in Jacksonville were getting tested for COVID-19 Wednesday.
Walmart, CVS, Walgreens among pharmacies now giving COVID-19 vaccines to young children
Read full article: Walmart, CVS, Walgreens among pharmacies now giving COVID-19 vaccines to young childrenSome of the largest pharmacies in the country are now giving out COVID-19 vaccine shots for children 5 to 11.
Giant Eagle settles pharmacy lawsuits with Ohio counties
Read full article: Giant Eagle settles pharmacy lawsuits with Ohio countiesOne of the four retail pharmacy companies on trial for their alleged roles in fostering an opioid crisis in two Ohio counties announced Friday it had settled a lawsuit with 10 government entities in the state.
Pharmacies face 1st trial over role in opioid crisis
Read full article: Pharmacies face 1st trial over role in opioid crisisA bellwether trial is set to start Monday in federal court in Cleveland to determine whether retail pharmacy chains are liable for costs related to the opioid crisis in two Ohio counties.
Publix, CVS, Walgreens offering 3rd COVID-19 vaccine dose for those with weak immune systems
Read full article: Publix, CVS, Walgreens offering 3rd COVID-19 vaccine dose for those with weak immune systemsPublix, CVS and Walgreens are offering a third COVID-19 vaccine shot for certain immunocompromised people.
Gov. DeSantis: Decreasing vaccine demand ‘going to be a consistent issue going forward’
Read full article: Gov. DeSantis: Decreasing vaccine demand ‘going to be a consistent issue going forward’Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday talked about the declining number of Floridians getting vaccinated against COVID-19.
No age restriction for teachers to get vaccinated at federal site in Jacksonville
Read full article: No age restriction for teachers to get vaccinated at federal site in Jacksonville“Because of the federal directive, this site at Gateway will take teachers, school workers, early childhood, pre-K, of all ages at this site,” said Kevin Guthrie, deputy director/SERT Chief. “So, again, pre-K through K-12, Head Start programs, child care centers, day care centers, and so on -- that site, the federal site, will do that. It is a federal site, and they are complying with the federal directive.”AdCVS, Walmart and Publix are also vaccinating teachers of any age at pharmacies around the state, citing the federal guidelines. AdHundreds of people got shots at the new site in the parking lot of the Jacksonville mall on Norwood Avenue just off Interstate 95. AdThe Gateway Mall site is expected to be active for at least 60 days, although the satellite sites are expected to relocate every seven to 10 days.
Task force calls for COVID-19 vaccine sites to expand to minority communities
Read full article: Task force calls for COVID-19 vaccine sites to expand to minority communitiesJACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Church leaders in Florida are pushing for more than 80 churches in under-served areas to become vaccination clinics. Church leaders say the governor and Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry aren’t doing enough to reach underserved communities with the vaccine. They are now working to get the federal government to provide enough doses to open these sites. The leaders say it’s not political, it’s about saving lives. Church leaders announced nine Northeast Florida locations where they say coronavirus vaccination clinics should be placed.
Expansion of vaccines to other pharmacies first step to addressing underserved areas, local expert says
Read full article: Expansion of vaccines to other pharmacies first step to addressing underserved areas, local expert saysPresident Joe Biden’s administration announced Tuesday that it will expand access to COVID-19 vaccines by distributing them to 6,500 retail pharmacies next week. Dr. Sunil Joshi, head of the Duval County Medical Society, said he thinks the plan of expanding vaccine distribution to pharmacies in underserved areas is an important step. RELATED: Task force calls for COVID-19 vaccine sites to expand to minority communitiesHe said the key in getting vaccines into underserved communities is trust. Walgreen’s website says the CDC is working with their pharmacies to optimize vaccine access in areas with a high social vulnerability index score. AdThe number of participating pharmacies and the allocation of vaccines is expected to accelerate as drug makers increase production.
COVID-19 vaccines coming soon to CVS, Walgreens, other pharmacies
Read full article: COVID-19 vaccines coming soon to CVS, Walgreens, other pharmaciesCVS, Walgreens, Winn-Dixie, Walmart, Sam’s Club and Costco are among the big-name companies will soon join Publix in getting COVID-19 vaccines out into senior citizens and others who qualify for a shot. Walgreen’s website says the CDC is working with their pharmacies to optimize vaccine access in areas with a high social vulnerability index score. The number of participating pharmacies and the allocation of vaccines is expected to grow as drug makers increase production. It is allowing state and local governments to receive additional federal dollars to cover previously incurred expenses relating to the pandemic. Participating are major chains like CVS, Walgreens and Rite Aid, big box stores such as Walmart and Costco, and supermarket pharmacies.
Biden boosting vaccine allotments, financing for virus costs
Read full article: Biden boosting vaccine allotments, financing for virus costsStarting next week, 1 million doses will be distributed to some 6,500 pharmacies across the country, the White House said. The administration is also boosting by 500,000 the weekly allocation of vaccines sent directly to states and territories for the coming weeks, up to 10.5 million. It is allowing state and local governments to receive additional federal dollars to cover previously incurred expenses relating to the pandemic. The number of participating pharmacies and the allocation of vaccines are expected to accelerate as drug makers increase production. The Biden administration has sought to increase certainty to state governments on their upcoming allocations to streamline deliveries and prevent stockpiling of second doses for the two-dose regimens.
Report: Many US nursing home staff decline first COVID shots
Read full article: Report: Many US nursing home staff decline first COVID shotsThe CDC looked at more than 11,000 nursing homes and skilled nursing facilities that had at least one vaccination clinic between the middle of December and the middle of January. Data previously showed that people who work in nursing homes and long-term care facilities get flu vaccines at lower rates than other health-care workers. Surveys suggest that long-term care workers are skeptical the shots work and don't think viruses spread easily from them to the people they care for. The government tasked CVS and Walgreens with administering the shots to long-term care homes in nearly every state. Each vaccine requires two shots a few weeks apart, and CVS and Walgreens say they have wrapped up first-dose clinics in nursing homes.
More retailers plan to help with COVID-19 vaccine rollout
Read full article: More retailers plan to help with COVID-19 vaccine rolloutJACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Within about 2 ½ hours Friday, all Publix COVID-19 vaccine appointments were booked up, including at locations in St. Johns and Flagler counties. The Publix vaccine appointments are for health care workers, people age 65 and up and long-term residents and staff. As the demand for the COVID-19 vaccine continues, more retailers are expected to help with the distribution. According to its website, Winn-Dixie plans to offer the vaccine to people, health care workers and long-term residents first. COUNTY-BY-COUNTY: COVID-19 vaccine distribution in Northeast FloridaWalmart said it’s prepared to administer the COVID-19 vaccine at its more than 5,000 stores and Sam’s Club pharmacies nationwide when it’s asked to do so.
'Little old West Virginia' sets pace on vaccine rollout
Read full article: 'Little old West Virginia' sets pace on vaccine rolloutMore shots have gone into people’s arms per capita across West Virginia than in any other state, with at least 7.4% of the population receiving the first of two shots, according to state data. “Little old West Virginia, that was thought of for hundreds of years, you know, as a place where maybe we were backward or dark or dingy,” Justice said last week. Instead, it turns out that “West Virginia has been the diamond in the rough,” Justice said on CBS’ "Face the Nation" on Sunday. The federal partnership involving both companies would have allowed Washington officials to dictate the terms of nursing home vaccinations, said Marty Wright, the head of the West Virginia Health Care Association, which represents health care companies. The governor wants in-person learning to resume at as many schools as possible by Tuesday, long before teachers will have received their second vaccine doses.
California hospitals discuss rationing care as virus surges
Read full article: California hospitals discuss rationing care as virus surgesPlans for rationing care are not in place yet, but they need to be established because “the worst is yet to come,” said Los Angeles County's health services director, Dr. Christina Ghaly. Until then, four hospitals run by Los Angeles County are weighing what to do if they cannot treat everyone because of a shortage of beds or staffers. Some hospitals have canceled non-essential elective surgeries, such as hip replacements, that might take up beds that could soon be needed for COVID-19 patients. Scientists are working to determine whether the strain spreads more easily, said Moncef Slaoui, the chief science adviser for the U.S. government’s COVID-19 vaccine effort. Bill Lee on Sunday announced new social gathering restrictions while still refusing to implement a mask mandate despite pleas from front-line health care workers.
EXPLAINER: What to know about COVID-19 vaccination in the US
Read full article: EXPLAINER: What to know about COVID-19 vaccination in the USDr. Michelle Chester draws the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine into a syringe at Long Island Jewish Medical Center, Monday, Dec. 14, 2020, in the Queens borough of New York. Even with vaccination, you'll still need to take precautions, like wearing a mask and social distancing, health officials say. Once doses are widely available, people should be able to use an existing government website, www.vaccinefinder.org, to find COVID-19 shots. The panel also suggests avoiding getting other vaccinations for two weeks before and after a COVID-19 shot. COVID-19 vaccines can’t be mixed and matched, so if a second dose is needed, providers will be checking to make sure you get the right one.
DeSantis: Florida to receive nearly 180,000 of Pfizer’s vaccines
Read full article: DeSantis: Florida to receive nearly 180,000 of Pfizer’s vaccinesTALLAHASSEE – Florida will receive 179,400 doses of Pfizer Inc.’s vaccine in its first shipment from the federal government, Gov. More than half of the vaccines --- 97,500 doses --- will be sent to five Florida hospitals to be administered to high-contact and high-exposure health care personnel, DeSantis said. Thursday’s video was the first time DeSantis publicly said how many vaccines the state will receive. DeSantis’ office released the video about the vaccines hours after Florida Senate Democrats criticized his handling of the coronavirus. Jones’ video shows officers brandishing guns and telling Jones to exit the house.
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.
President Trump touts vaccine partnership with pharmacies
Read full article: President Trump touts vaccine partnership with pharmaciesFORT MYERS, Fla. – Campaigning Friday in Fort Myers, President Donald Trump pledged to deliver a COVID-19 vaccine to many senior citizens free of charge through a partnership with two major pharmacy chains. The president also has said he would have vaccines available to the public by the Nov. 3 election. And even if vaccines were available, it’s not clear Americans, especially older ones, would get vaccinated. Trump, who also held a rally in Ocala, will likely be unable to win a second term if he loses the state. The news about the vaccine partnership also came as states were required to submit draft plans to the federal government about how they will distribute a coronavirus vaccine when one is approved for public use.
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.”
Hawaii to allow travelers to skip quarantine with virus test
Read full article: Hawaii to allow travelers to skip quarantine with virus testDavid Ige said Wednesday that starting Oct. 15, travelers arriving from out of state may bypass a 14-day quarantine requirement if they test negative for COVID-19. Travelers will have to take the test within 72 hours before their flight arrives in the islands. Earlier this year Ige planned to start a pre-travel testing program on Aug. 1 only to have to postpone it as COVID-19 cases spiked on the U.S. mainland and in Hawaii. Hawaii leaders are hopeful that pre-travel testing will encourage people to return to a Hawaii in a way that keeps residents safe. “I want to emphasize that this pre-travel testing will allow us to add a greater element of safety for travel into our state,” Ige said at a news conference.
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.
Florida gov chooses side in sunscreen debate: Slather away!
Read full article: Florida gov chooses side in sunscreen debate: Slather away!TALLAHASSEE, Fla. When it comes to sunscreen, skin cancer and coral reefs, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has taken the side of sun worshipers who have gotten tacit approval to slather away. The bill was one of 28 signed into law by DeSantis late Monday. But DeSantis sided with health and sunscreen advocates who argued that people's health outweighed the threat to coral reefs. With a stroke of his pen, the governor also repealed Chapter 363 in its entirety from Florida statute on Monday.
Arizona governor facing pressure to act as virus cases surge
Read full article: Arizona governor facing pressure to act as virus cases surgeThe Arizona Department of Health Services posted on its website Monday another 1,104 cases of COVID-19 and eight additional deaths, bringing the statewide total number of coronavirus cases to 36,705 and related deaths to 1,194. Doug Ducey to take steps like requiring masks in public to slow a major increase in new coronavirus cases that has made the state a national hot spot. Arizona hospitals were treating a record number of coronavirus patients Tuesday amid a surge of new cases. The state's Health Services Department reported a record number of emergency room visits for the virus as well. #MaskUpAZ.During a news briefing last week where he pushed back on questions about a mask mandate, the governor insisted that the state's hospitals, while filling up, had the capacity to treat any expected surge in virus patients.
Report says Walgreens may go private
Read full article: Report says Walgreens may go privateJustin Sullivan/Getty Images(CNN) - Drug store giant Walgreens Boots Alliance is one of the worst stocks in the Dow this year. But shares shot up Tuesday after Reuters reported that the company is considering taking itself private. Shares of Walgreens popped 3.5% in heavy trading on the report. An acquisition of Walgreens would not come cheap for any private equity firm though. Walgreens shares are down nearly 10% this year, making it the second-worst performer in the Dow in 2019 behind only pharma giant Pfizer.
Retailers are pulling Johnson's baby powder from store shelves
Read full article: Retailers are pulling Johnson's baby powder from store shelves(CNN) - Several retailers have pulled Johnson's baby powder from shelves after Johnson & Johnson announced earlier this month it was recalling 33,000 bottles due to asbestos concerns. CVS, Target, Walgreens and Rite Aid said on Friday they had removed all 22-ounce bottles of the baby powder from store shelves. Walmart said it had removed recalled Johnson's baby powder. "The only action we've taken is with products impacted by the Johnson & Johnson recall." Additionally, FDA is not aware of any records pointing to counterfeit Johnson's baby powder in the US market," Meyer's email said.
Walgreens will close about 200 US stores
Read full article: Walgreens will close about 200 US storesJustin Sullivan/Getty Images(CNN) - Walgreens will close about 200 locations across the United States as part of its plan to cut costs. After buying roughly half of Rite Aid's stores two years ago, Walgreens expanded its American footprint to more than 9,500 stores. The planned closures represent less than 3% of Walgreens locations. Walgreens did not provide a list of the stores that it plans to close. Parent company Walgreens Boots Alliance announced in June it would close 200 of its more than 2,400 Boots stores in the United Kingdom.