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CVS, Walgreen Ready Stores for Rising Demand From Flu Outbreak
2009-04-26 21:53:27.921 GMT
By Carol Wolf
April 26 (Bloomberg) -- CVS Caremark Corp. and Walgreen
Co., the two largest U.S. drug-store chains, are gearing up for
a possible wider outbreak of swine flu as the government
declares a public health emergency.
CVS has ordered additional doses of Roche Holding AG?s
antiviral drug Tamiflu for New York City, said Michael
DeAngelis, a spokesman for the Woonsocket, Rhode Island based
chain. CVS has a store across the street from the St. Francis
Preparatory School in Queens, where health officials have
confirmed eight cases, he said.
?Since the outbreak, we?ve seen a marked increase in
prescriptions for Tamiflu in the New York area,? DeAngelis said
in a telephone interview today.
The preparations by the drug-store chains come after the
U.S. confirmed 20 cases of swine flu, which has sickened 1,000
people in Mexico and is linked to the death of more than 80.
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said
stockpiles of drugs to treat patients will be made available.
CVS, which as 6,900 locations, was able to meet the surge
in demand, DeAngelis said. The retailer has more than 25 stores
in the Queens area, according to its Web site. CVS hasn?t seen a
run on personal-hygiene products such as face masks and hand
sanitizers, he said.
At Walgreen, purchasing managers are meeting this weekend
with suppliers to ensure the Deerfield, Illinois-based company
can meet a surge in demand for personal-hygiene products, said
Michael Polzin, a company spokesman, in an interview.
Walgreen is coordinating its efforts with its in-store
clinics, Polzin said. He didn?t know yet what role the clinics
may play in fighting any outbreak. Walgreen has more than 6,700
stores.
Walgreen rose 24 cents to $29.24 on April 24 in New York
Stock Exchange composite trading. The shares have climbed 20
percent this year. CVS advanced 16 cents to $29.73 and has
gained 3.4 percent.
CVS, Walgreen Ready Stores for Rising Demand From Flu Outbreak
2009-04-26 21:53:27.921 GMT
By Carol Wolf
April 26 (Bloomberg) -- CVS Caremark Corp. and Walgreen
Co., the two largest U.S. drug-store chains, are gearing up for
a possible wider outbreak of swine flu as the government
declares a public health emergency.
CVS has ordered additional doses of Roche Holding AG?s
antiviral drug Tamiflu for New York City, said Michael
DeAngelis, a spokesman for the Woonsocket, Rhode Island based
chain. CVS has a store across the street from the St. Francis
Preparatory School in Queens, where health officials have
confirmed eight cases, he said.
?Since the outbreak, we?ve seen a marked increase in
prescriptions for Tamiflu in the New York area,? DeAngelis said
in a telephone interview today.
The preparations by the drug-store chains come after the
U.S. confirmed 20 cases of swine flu, which has sickened 1,000
people in Mexico and is linked to the death of more than 80.
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said
stockpiles of drugs to treat patients will be made available.
CVS, which as 6,900 locations, was able to meet the surge
in demand, DeAngelis said. The retailer has more than 25 stores
in the Queens area, according to its Web site. CVS hasn?t seen a
run on personal-hygiene products such as face masks and hand
sanitizers, he said.
At Walgreen, purchasing managers are meeting this weekend
with suppliers to ensure the Deerfield, Illinois-based company
can meet a surge in demand for personal-hygiene products, said
Michael Polzin, a company spokesman, in an interview.
Walgreen is coordinating its efforts with its in-store
clinics, Polzin said. He didn?t know yet what role the clinics
may play in fighting any outbreak. Walgreen has more than 6,700
stores.
Walgreen rose 24 cents to $29.24 on April 24 in New York
Stock Exchange composite trading. The shares have climbed 20
percent this year. CVS advanced 16 cents to $29.73 and has
gained 3.4 percent.