Below are five of the top pharmacy stories published by Becker's Hospital Review in August, beginning with the most popular:
1. Walgreens to close 200 US stores
Walgreens plans to close 200 stores in the U.S., decreasing its real estate footprint by about 3 percent.
2. CVS moving to change healthcare: A timeline since the Aetna acquisition
Since buying health insurer Aetna in November, CVS Health has emphasized holistic healthcare rather than just selling medicine. The company said it hopes its strategic shift will lead to healthier communities and lower healthcare costs. Here is a timeline of health-related moves from CVS reported by Becker's Hospital Review since it finalized its deal with Aetna.
3. CMS to cover CAR-T therapy nationwide
Medicare has finalized its long overdue national coverage decision on CAR-T therapy, an innovative but expensive new cancer treatment that uses patients' immune cells to fight against the disease.
4. Amazon's PillPack battling CVS, Walgreens over patient prescription transfers
PillPack, which was acquired by Amazon last year, is fighting with industry heavyweights CVS and Walgreens over patient prescription transfers.
5. J&J liable for opioid crisis in Oklahoma: 9 things to know
An Oklahoma judge ruled Aug. 26 that Johnson & Johnson was liable for fueling the opioid epidemic in the state and ordered the drugmaker to pay $572 million. This is the first ruling in the U.S. that holds a drugmaker accountable for a role in the opioid crisis.