Visit Drug Channels in Booth #1601 at #Asembia25 for a Special “Ask Adam Anything” (#AAA) Session

Next week, the Drug Channels Institute (DCI) team will be heading to Asembia’s AXS25 Summit at the always fabulous Wynn Las Vegas.

Thanks to our friends at HMP Global, we’re thrilled to have our very own DCI booth once again!

As you might expect, we'll be showing up in true Drug Channels style. Be sure to swing by booth #1601 for fun, flair, and pharma-frivolity:

• Ask Adam Anything (#AAA). Join DCI president Adam J. Fein, Ph.D., for a special live session during the opening reception on Monday, April 28, at 4:00 p.m. Bring your phone—selfies encouraged!

• Spin the Drug Channels Wheel O’ Fun and win fabulous prizes!

• Request your invitation to the 2026 Drug Channels Leadership Forum! (ICYMI, check out Reflections and Photos from the Inaugural Drug Channels Leadership Forum 2025.)

• Chat with the marvelous Paula Fein, DCI’s intrepid vice president of business development, about sponsorship opportunities for the Drug Channels Leadership Forum 2026!

• Meet Jeana Dollear, the behind-the-scenes dynamo who keeps everything running smoothly.

• Enjoy cupcakes and conversation!

DCI’s booth is conveniently located in the middle of the hall. Check out the handy map below for directions:

[Click to Enlarge]

And remember: What happens in Booth #1601, stays in Booth #1601. 😉

Visit Drug Channels in Booth #1801 at #Asembia24 for a Special “Ask Me Anything With Adam” (#AMAWA)

Next week, the Drug Channels Institute team will be attending Asembia’s AXS24 Summit at the wonderful Wynn Las Vegas.

And for the first time—thanks to our new friends at HMP Global—DCI will have its very own booth! (Click here for a special sneak peek.)

As you might expect, we will hit Vegas in true Drug Channels style. Stop by booth #1801 for fun and games:

• Partake in a special in-person Ask Me Anything with Adam (#AMAWA) session with DCI president Adam J. Fein, Ph.D.! The AMAWA session will start on Monday, April 29, at 4:30 p.m. (Bring your phone if you want a selfie!)
  
  Adam won’t be speaking at Asembia this year, so be sure to visit booth #1801 on Monday afternoon to get his hot take on whatever topic is vexing you.

• Spin the Drug Channels Wheel O’ Fun and win fabulous prizes!

• Meet Bar Stern, DCI’s newest and most bearded team member!

• Request an invitation to the inaugural Drug Channels Leadership Forum!

• Chat with the marvelous Paula Fein, DCI’s intrepid vice president of business development!

• Learn about First Report Managed Care!

• Enjoy snacks, treats, and espresso!

DCI’s booth will be in the back of the hall, with all of the cool kids. Here’s a handy map:

[Click to Enlarge]

Remember: What happens in Booth #1801, stays in Booth #1801. 😉

BONUS TIP

While you’re in Vegas, be sure to visit the fantastic new exhibition about the gross-to-net bubble at Circus Circus.

10/10 would pop the gross-to-net bubble in Vegas again!

Drug Channels Outlook: What to Watch in 2019

Whew. I can’t recall a year with as much drug channel tumult as we experienced in 2018.

Hot topics included the ever-inflating gross-to-net bubble, the prospect for a world without rebates, the boom in copay accumulators, the specialty pharmacy industry’s slowdown, the completion of vertical integration mega deals, an aggressive federal government attempt to reform the entire industry, the still-looming challenge from Amazon, and much more.

I’m exhausted just thinking about it all!

I’m happy to say that Drug Channels was there to help you figure it out. Our site had another record year of readership. Drug Channels now has more than 24,000 subscribers, including more than 6,600 @DrugChannels Twitter followers. (Follow me there for daily updates.)

Thank you, dear readers, for welcoming me into your inboxes and browsers each week. I’ve had a blast writing Drug Channels and hope that you had fun reading it. I’m grateful to our many sponsors and guest writers. Special thanks to the brave souls who posted comments and joined in the spirited discussions below the articles.

Below, you'll find our annual bonus stocking stuffer: The Drug Channels Outlook: Things to Watch in 2019. These slides capture ideas I shared in my recent keynote presentation at CBI's Trade and Channel Strategies conference. It’s a sneak peek at some of next year's likely hot topics.

You'll also find our annual holiday tradition—a video greeting below from me and Paula, my wife and business partner in Drug Channels Institute.

Wishing you and your family health and happiness,
Adam

Democrats and Republicans Agree: Drug Channels Is Awesome!

I can’t recall any period in my life when our country has been so divided and polarized.

So just in time for our nation’s birthday, I’m happy to report some good news. When it comes to healthcare analysis, both Republicans and Democrats can agree on one thing: Drug Channels is the go-to source!

Each political party’s major drug pricing policy document draws prominently from our research and writing. See below for the patriotic details of this historic bipartisan validation.

Through the Drug Channels Institute, I strive to provide you with fact-based and balanced coverage. I’m proud that your friendly neighborhood blogger can be a unifying force for our troubled nation.

Things to Watch in 2017's Drug Channels

Well, that was…a year.

Beyond the obvious political shocks, I was quite surprised to find the spotlight shining on our humble little world of channel economics. Not quite as unexpected as last year’s lap dance from Amy Schumer—but pretty close!

I’m pleased to report that Drug Channels had a yuuuuge year. We now have more than 15,000 subscribers, including more than 3,300 @DrugChannels Twitter followers. In 2016, total page views on the site will be almost 900,000—up 25% compared with 2015.

Thank you, dear readers, for welcoming me into your inboxes and browsers. I’ve had fun and hope you did, too. I’m grateful to our many sponsors and guest writers. Special thanks to the brave souls who joined in the spirited discussions below the articles.

Below you’ll find a bonus stocking stuffer: the Drug Channels Update: Things to Watch in 2017 slides from my recent keynote presentation to a group of trade and channel executives from pharmaceutical manufacturers. It’s a sneak peek at some of next year's likely hot topics.

Drug Channels will return in 2017! In the meantime, please enjoy our annual tradition—a video holiday greeting from me and Paula, my wife and business partner.

We wish you and your family a peaceful and healthy 2017,
Adam

It's Finally Time For ICD-10 Fun!

Rejoice, fans of medical billing codes. It’s ICD-10 Compliance Day!

As you may know, the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) will expand the number of medical service codes for doctors and hospitals, from 18,000 in the ICD-9 to more than 140,000 in the ICD-10. Click here for a good background article from The Wall Street Journal. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has been counting down to today's launch.

So, today is a perfect time to revisit the Find-A-Code YouTube channel, where you can see a gaggle of semi-wacky video clips illustrating legitimate ICD-10 codes.

I picked out a few choice ones below, including my personal favorite V95.44 ("Spacecraft accident injuring occupant”). And that's only one of an astounding 21 spacecraft-related ICD-10 codes.

Click here to search the database and discover your own lucky code.

Cardinal Health CEO George Barrett is a Rock God

Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, and…George Barrett?

Not convinced? Check out the video below, which shows Cardinal Health Chairman and CEO George Barrett onstage at The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Roadshow concert.

Highlights include:

• Barrett's harmonizing on CSNY's Woodstock at 1:46

• Barrett's solo (!) cover version of John Mayer’s Gravity at 3:00

Well, at least we know he has the drugs and rock n’ roll covered!

Amy Schumer Gave Me a Lap Dance to Fight MS: Please Help Drug Channels Continue the Fight

Strange but true: I won Universal's TrainWreck Premiere Experience contest benefitting the National Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society. Really.

I got to walk the red carpet with my wife Paula at the New York movie premiere. Amy Schumer, the film's writer and star, also foolishly promised a “disappointing lap dance” to the contest winner.

Well, Ms. Schumer delivered on the dance, as you can see in the photos below. It was as great as you might imagine and not at all disappointing.

To celebrate this experience, I'm raising more money for MS. To make a tax-deductible contribution, please visit THE AMY SCHUMER DISAPPOINTING LAP DANCE $5,000 MATCHING CHALLENGE FOR MS. I will match the first $5,000 with my own personal donation. Thank you for helping me support this worthwhile cause. (Bonus: There's a short video of Amy and me on the donation site!)

Read on for more photos from my surreal visit to a Hollywood movie premiere.

BREAKING NEWS: Rite Aid Acquires Candy Maker, Launches New Rewards Program

Wow, the hits keep coming. This morning, Rite Aid announced its acquisition of Just Born, the privately-held Bethlehem, PA, company best known for making delicious Marshmallow Peeps. Read the press release.

To coincide with the deal, Rite Aid also announced a new Peepness+ rewards program. This program unites the drugstore’s front-end and pharmacy sales by allowing consumers to earn Peepness+ "mallow points." The points never expire, so customers can use accrued benefits throughout their lifetime.

The program arrives just in time for the spring candy harvest. Here’s what Troy McClure, Rite Aid's VP of Tobacco, Candy, and Snack Chips (TCSC)  told me: “We want to build a lifetime relationship with our customers. For instance, you’ll earn points whenever you spend more than $9.75 on any avian or leporid Peeps marshmallows. Later, when you become an insulin-dependent diabetic, you can redeem your mallow points at our pharmacy.”

Added McClure: “At Rite Aid, we have long viewed candy products, and really the whole TCSC category, as essential to establishing our drugstores as true healthcare destinations.”

Folks, here’s another powerful example of fauxversification. Read on for my competitive analysis of the drugstore industry’s latest innovation.

A Holiday Greeting Dance from Drug Channels

Dear Drug Channels reader,

Wow. It’s hard to believe that another crazy, busy year is already coming to an end.

Thank you for welcoming me into your inboxes and browsers. I’ve had fun writing about 2014’s unexpected, unusual, and fascinating developments. I’m grateful to our many sponsors and guest writers. (Email Paula if your company wants to publish a guest post.) Special thanks to the brave souls who joined in the often-spirited discussions below the articles.

2014 was another big growth year for Drug Channels. We now have about 10,000 subscribers, including almost 1,700 @DrugChannels Twitter followers. Our Drug Channels Institute subsidiary is humming along.

Drug Channels will return in 2015. In the meantime, please enjoy the video greeting below, which gives you a small taste of my awesome dance skillz. (I'm ready for my dance-off with Star Lord.)

Have a great holiday! All the best to you and your family,
Adam

BREAKING NEWS: Walgreens to Start Selling Marijuana in Retail Drugstores

The great tobacco-in-pharmacy debate just got A LOT more interesting! This morning, Walgreens announced plans to start selling marijuana in the states that have legalized cannabis. Read the press release.

Here’s a key quote from the press release:

“Marijuana is used in the treatment of several conditions, including glaucoma, cancer, and multiple sclerosis,” said Walgreens spokesperson Calvin Broadus. “Walgreens will offer an industry-leading consumer experience and the widest selection of primo strains, including such top sellers as Black Rhino OG Kush and Strawberry Cough. While our competitors are abandoning smokers, we remain proudly at the Corner of Happy and Hacking®.”

Beginning with locations in Washington and Colorado, Walgreens will launch a new "High Experience" retail store format. Each store will feature a special Weed Corner™, a dedicated space where consumers can attend education events and purchase everything they need for a cannabis-based lifestyle. The press release mentions such items as rolling papers, lighters, Doritos, Hacky Sacks, Funyons, and the Grateful Dead’s seminal 1970 album, “American Beauty.”

The new store format will also sell OTC products from Alliance Boots’ private label brand, including Formula No. 420 Redness Relief Eye Drops.

Walgreens promises “Friendly Service and Expert Advice” and consultations with board-certified dealers who will diagnose and treat families' everyday ganja needs. These dealers can even write prescriptions if needed for things like bachelor parties, Phish concerts, or like, whatever, dude.

Read on for important information about this bold strategic move.

A Tale of Two Wholesaler CEOs

Imagine that you are the just-retired CEO of a major pharmaceutical wholesaler. How should you live your life?

Should you:

• Spend your days visiting your grandkids, hanging out with your wife of 40+ years, and sitting on a few boards?

• Divorce your wife and go on an unhinged, hedonistic bender filled with girls, guns, and sex tapes?

Put another way, should you follow the example of Dave Yost, former CEO of AmerisourceBergen, or Stewart Rahr, former CEO of Kinray Drugs? Read on for the just-published mundane and/or salacious details of their respective post-wholesale retirements.

Which one is the cautionary tale? Well, that's between you, your conscience, and your spouse.

Walmart Adds Low-Cost Surgical Procedures

Hospitals better get ready for some new competition! This morning, Walmart announced plans to offer discount surgical procedures, with an initial focus on liposuction. Liposuction procedures typically costs more than $6,000, but Walmart will price lower and upper abdomen liposuction at $249.99. Clearly, Walmart is following the price leader strategy that allowed it to become the country's fourth-largest pharmacy.

Here’s a telling comment from the press release:

“We view liposuction as a true lifecycle product for Walmart consumers,” said David St. Hubbins, M.D., chief medical officer at Walmart’s Health and Wellness Division. “As America’s number one seller of lard-based snack products, Walmart has provided unparalleled support for the nation’s obesity epidemic. Now, we can provide a low-cost solution to this ever-growing market segment.”

Walmart claims to be the retailer of choice for 83% of Americans who weigh more than 350 pounds. The company expects 29% of its liposuction customers to be "double dippers"—consumers who will take advantage of Walmart’s low food prices to regain the weight, and then purchase a second lipo procedure.

Another positive tailwind is favorable legislation, such as Mississippi’s new law outlawing the sale of soft drinks in containers smaller than 20 ounces.

Read my comments below for speculation on what this means for hospital marketing and med-surg distribution channels.

2012 Drug Channels Year in Review

Dear Drug Channels reader,

This is my 145th (and final) post for 2012. Thank you for welcoming me into your inboxes and browsers this year. I also appreciate the many people who took time to engage in often-spirited discussions below the articles.

Below are 2012’s top 10 most viewed articles. Looking over the list, you can see what an eventful 12 months it's been. There's been no shortage of important drug channel developments!

Drug Channels will return in 2013. In the meantime, please enjoy the video greeting below from my sombrero-sporting alter ego. As you can see, I’ve learned a few new dance moves since last year!

All the best to you and your family,
Adam

A New Look

I’m pleased to announce Drug Channels’ new site redesign!

We’ve updated the blog’s graphic design, streamlined the layout, improved loading speed, and added new information about the site’s traffic and readers. You’ll also notice the announcement of Drug Channels Institute, our new e-learning subsidiary. Look for more details on DCI soon.

Our look may be new, but I remain committed to in-depth analysis, pop culture mastery, and top-quality snark. Just check out the music video below, which I made with a few friends to celebrate Hanukkah. Enjoy!

Drug Channels News Roundup: October 2012

It’s time for my Halloween roundup of spooky Drug Channels news. Here are today’s terrifying stories:

• Dawn of the DEA: The never-ending battle against wholesalers
• No Fangs: Pharmacy lawsuit against preferred Part D networks is dismissed
• Stake through the Heart: People trust the Internet more than pharmacists
• Frankenbill: New potential legislation on distribution security

Plus, a funny video trick-or-treating lesson … for pharmaceutical sales reps!

Walgreens Rx for Growth: Beer! (rerun)

In advance of Memorial Day weekend, I'm rerunning one of my favorite posts, originally published in February 2011. Amid our festivities, let's all raise a glass for the brave men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces.

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"Ah, beer. The cause of and the solution to all of life's problems."—Homer Simpson.

Walgreens (NYSE: WAG) has expanded the definition of "medicine" once again with the introduction of its own private label beer called Big Flats 1901. A six-pack sells for $2.99—less than the cost of a $4 prescription!

The beer's tagline: "It’s the water that makes it." (Legal disclaimer: It does not say "...makes it good.")

Dr. Stephen T. Colbert, DFA, provides his review of this important industry development in the video clip below.

Question: Could this be revenge for CVS Caremark's (NYSE:CVS) first-mover advantage in the drugstore industry's Chia Obama wars?

FDA Approves Stoogesta :)

"Ever dropped a bell on a nun, ripped the armpit hair off an old man or stuffed a live lobster down a loved one’s pants?”

If so, then you'll be glad to hear about Stoogesta (nimbiscus dumbphondenol). See the "Ask your Doctor" video below for details.

I wonder if there are any drug-drug interactions with Despondex?

Paging Dr. Howard, Dr. Fein, Dr. Howard!

An Update on Pharma Sales Reps: The Sitcom

Here at Drug Channels, we try to keep you informed about important industry news. That's why, in May, I told you about Pharma Sales Reps: The Sitcom, an ABC show called Work It. As far as I know, it's the very first TV comedy about two men who dress as women to land jobs as pharmaceutical sales reps. (Yes, really. That's the show's premise.)

Well, the first episode just aired. The good news? It won't last long based on the reviews:

• Hollywood Reporter: "Awful and Embarrassing for ABC"
• Entertainment Weekly: "So bad, you felt a little sorry for it"
• TV Guide: "insulting to anyone of any gender with half a brain and a lick of taste"

The bad news? The show wasted no time in portraying an ignorant, outdated, and (worst of all) unfunny view of the pharma industry.

The video clip below shows a "sales call" by one of the main characters. Go ahead, waste 2 minutes of your life and see what Hollywood thinks about the pharma industry. Perhaps it will cure your paraskevidekatriaphobia.

The Shootin' Pharmacists

In Young Scientists Take Aim, the Wall Street Journal profiles one of the country's top NCAA rifle teams—the pharmacy students at Philadelphia's University of the Sciences.

Yes, you read that correctly. Last season, the USciences pharmacy team was ranked equal to the Virginia Military Institute. Yikes!

In the video below, an intrepid reporter probes the burning question: "Should the armed forces be recruiting marksmen from pharmacy schools?" (Uh, no?)

Hmmm, I wonder if CMS employees will think twice before implementing the new AMP-based FULs...