Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
CVS To Open More Stores This Year Than It Closes, Signaling Comeback
Bloomberg: CVS To Open More Stores In 2026 Than It Shuts In Retail Turnaround
CVS Health Corp. plans to open more pharmacies than it closes in 2026, marking the end of a four-year contraction for the largest American retail pharmacy chain. CVS will open about 60 stores this year, including nearly 20 small pharmacy-only sites, spokesperson Amy Thibault said. The company will also close a few dozen locations, she said. (Swetlitz, 3/30)
Chicago Tribune: CVS Plans To Open 5 Pharmacy-Only Locations In Chicago
CVS Health plans to open five new locations in Chicago this year — but don’t expect to see chips, candy or nail polish for sale. The new locations — on the South, West and Southwest sides — will offer pharmacy services only, unlike the larger stores that the company is known for. The sites represent a new tack for CVS, as retail pharmacies continue to struggle with how to best serve customers who are increasingly shopping for everyday items and medications online. (Schencker, 3/30)
More pharmacy news —
Modern Healthcare: FTC-Express Scripts PBM Deal Making Matters Worse, Pharmacies Say
A settlement between Express Scripts and the Federal Trade Commission designed to curb anticompetitive business practices may counterintuitively have the opposite effect, pharmacies warn. In February, Cigna division Express Scripts agreed to a series of changes to resolve a federal lawsuit alleging the pharmacy benefit manager inflated insulin prices. The settlement, Express Scripts’ pledged shift to a rebate-free model, and other actions by lawmakers and regulators were viewed by some as positive developments that would foster equitable and transparent practices. (Tong, 3/30)
In other pharmaceutical developments —
Stat: Doctors Without Borders Calls Gilead 'Unconscionable' For Refusing To Sell HIV Prevention Drug To Organization
In the latest dustup over a groundbreaking HIV prevention medicine, Doctors Without Borders has harshly criticized the manufacturer for refusing to sell its treatment directly to humanitarian organizations. (Silverman, 3/30)
CNN: Beta-Blockers Are Often A Lifelong Medicine After A Heart Attack – But Maybe They Shouldn’t Be
For decades, surviving a heart attack has come with a lifelong prescription: Stay on medications called beta-blockers to help protect your heart. But doctors are taking a closer look at whether long-term beta-blocker use is really necessary, especially beyond the first year of recovery. (Howard, 3/30)
The Wall Street Journal: Should You Take A Statin? A 10-Minute Scan Can Help You Decide
Measuring cholesterol levels has long been the main way doctors assess the risk of heart disease. Increasingly, people are opting, too, for a simple, relatively affordable test: a coronary artery calcium scan, or CAC. The tests recently got a boost from influential clinical guidelines issued earlier this month by leading cardiology groups. These guidelines also included, for the first time, recommended levels of LDL—known as low-density lipoprotein or “bad” cholesterol—based on calcium scores from the scans. (Reddy, 3/30)
CIDRAP: Use Of Newer Antibiotics For Challenging Infections Is Rising, But No Improvement Seen In Death Rates
A new study suggests that newer antibiotics designed for some of the most drug-resistant bacterial infections are being used more frequently but aren’t making a dent in survival rates. The study, published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, found that, among patients hospitalized with a difficult-to-treat (DTR) gram-negative bacterial infections, initial treatment with one of six antibiotics approved in recent years rose by nearly 300% from 2016 to 2023. But there was no observed reduction in mortality among the patients. (Dall, 3/30)
MedPage Today: GLP-1 Drugs Pick Up Another Win, This Time In Psoriatic Arthritis
Adding a GLP-1 agonist to psoriasis medication significantly improved outcomes in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and overweight or obesity, a phase III randomized trial showed. (Bankhead, 3/30)
