Content about Pharmacology

Zug, Switzerland -- Swiss drugstore chain Alliance Boots said Monday it has acquired a 12% stake in Chinese pharmaceutical wholesaler Nanjing Pharmaceutical Co. for $88.5 million.

The deal follows Walgreen Co.’s $7 billion investment in Alliance Boots in a move to expand into China.

Alliance Boots runs the largest drugstore chain in the United Kingdom.

Walgreen’s initial plan is to acquire about 45% of Alliance Boots with an option to buy the rest of the company in three years.

Today’s retail associates have more selling tools at their disposal than ever before — not the least of which is the increasingly popular tablet. The mobile device has taken not only front-of-house selling to new levels but has added efficiencies and enhanced employee productivity to back-of-house functions as well. Chain Store Age talked with Mike Stinson, VP marketing of Motion Computing, about the trend toward tablets.

What are some of the most prevalent uses of tablets in the retail environment?

Boston -- Research results released Thursday by mobile and social merchandising solution-provider Zmags found that less than one-third of the top 100 Internet retailers are prepared for tablet shopping.

According to “Mobile & Tablet e-Commerce: Is anyone really ready?” commissioned by research firm Hawk Partners, too few retailers have optimized sites for tablet commerce. Most are simply relying on their standard websites to provide an “adequate enough” tablet shopping experience.

Hartford, Conn. -- The State Attorney’s office in Connecticut said Thursday that Walgreen Co. has settled a civil lawsuit with state and federal officials who accused the retailer of double-billing the government for prescription drugs.

Walgreen has reimbursed the government for billing errors made between June 1, 2006, and Aug. 31, 2008, and admitted no wrongdoing in the settlement.
 

Deerfield, Ill. -- Walgreen Co. reported Tuesday that net income for the quarter ended Feb. 28 rose to $739 million, compared with $669 million in the year-ago period. However, gross profit margin remained flat at 28.8%, disappointing Wall Street, which expected more from the drugstore operator.

Revenue climbed 9% to $18.5 billion. Same-store sales and prescription sales each rose 4%.