Savon Drug
Albertson's leads in diabetic care as it pursues pharmacy business - Albertson's Drug Div - Brief Article - Statistical Data IncludedJames Frederick With more than 100 of its pharmacists counseling and monitoring diabetic patients around the United States--including at least a dozen of whom have risen to the level of certified diabetic educators--Albertson's can stake a strong claim as the drug store industry's leading diabetic care specialist.
The company inherited much of its disease management capabilities in late 1999 when it acquired American Stores. Beginning in the early 1990s, American's Osco Drug division in Chicago helped pioneer a diabetic care model for its pharmacists in a handful of selected stores in Chicagoland. Since then, the program has been expanded into many other regions.
"We have 107 trained pharmacists now in 15 states and 22 in the Chicago market alone," said Anthony Provenzano, director of disease management programs. "We're showing outcomes, and revenue is being generated from the services and from the sales associated with the services. It's been incredibly successful so far."
Albertson's has operated in-store pharmacies in its supermarkets for decades. But the company vaulted into the top ranks of the nation's pharmacy retailers through its merger with American Stores and now operates more than 2,000 prescription centers nationwide through its more than 800 Osco and Say-on drug stores and its various combination store operations.
"Pharmacy is the cornerstone of the combo stores ... and we're very pleased with the drug store's performance," said Albertson's president and chief operating officer Peter Lynch last month. "Everybody has had challenges [attracting enough] pharmacists out there. But one of the opportunities we've had here at Albertson's is we've got a very, very strong drug store team, led by [drug division president] Kevin Tripp in Scottsdale. And with that strong pharmacy background we have in our combination stores, our ability to attract and retain pharmacists in those stores clearly gives us a competitive edge."
Albertson's last month announced plans to close or sell 165 of its 2,541 stores--including as many as 40 or more of its standalone Osco and Sav-on drug stores--as part of a cost-cutting campaign. At the same time, however, Albertson's leaders reiterated a plan to expand the chain's pharmacy business and said the planned construction this year of another 75 drug stores remains on schedule--along with another 70 combination stores and 60 drug stores next year.
The chain also is chasing prescription market share via the Internet. Through Albertson's Savon.com online pharmacy, patients can order or transfer refills or new prescriptions and check the status of an order. They also can check drug prices or potential drug interactions and put questions to a staff pharmacist.
Albertson's Drug Division
15100 N. 90th St.
Scottsdale, Ariz. 85260-2769
Phone: (480) 767-4000
Web site: www.albertsons.com, www.savon.com
Number of stores: 2,544
Number of pharmacies: 2,062 [*]
Annual Rx sales in 2000: $5.5 billion [**]
Number of pharmacists: 7,000
Average No. of Rx filled
per store, per day: 140 [**]
Automated operating system: ADS Rx system
Rx orders via the Internet: Less than 1 percent
Head of Rx operations: Kevin Tripp, executive vice president of drug and general merchandise
Note: Afbertson's corporate headquarters is in Boise, Idaho.
(*.) -- Total includes 818 free-standing Osco and Say-on drug stores, and 1,244 Jewel-Osco, Acme Markets and Albertson's combo-store pharmacies.
(**.) -- denotes estimate
COPYRIGHT 2001 Reproduced with permission of the copyright holder. Further reproduction or distribution is prohibited without permission.
COPYRIGHT 2001 Gale Group
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