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Top stories from the CVS/pharmacy October eNewsletter!

While the change of seasons brings us relief from the summer heat, we also start to see an increase in illness. October is the start of flu season, and on average, your employees will lose almost 3 days of work from the flu. Each flu season results in approximately $7 billion in lost productivity.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of CVS's decision to stop selling tobacco products, a bold move that transformed the company's role in public health. When CVS first made the decision in 2014 to remove tobacco from its 7,800 stores, the move was seen as controversial by some but groundbreaking by others. Since then, CVS has evolved from a retail pharmacy chain to a healthcare leader, and its commitment to public health has been underscored by significant research and industry recognition.

The 2015 Flu season is still a few months away, but now is a great time to start getting prepared. Every year the United States experiences an epidemic of seasonal flu. While flu season peaks in the winter months, flu outbreaks can happen as early as October and can last all the way into May. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends a yearly flu vaccination for everyone 6 months of age and older. This is the first and most important step to protecting oneself from this very serious disease. People should start getting vaccinated as soon as the flu shot becomes available. Many flu shot providers receive the vaccine as early as July or August. The CDC encourages getting the shot preferably by October. But as long as the flu virus is spreading, it’s not too late to get vaccinated. The flu shot has become easy to obtain. Even without insurance or appointment, CVS/pharmacy offers adolescent, adult, & senior flu shots right in the store while CVS/minute clinic locations offer all that and pediatric flu shots as well. All vaccines are administered by a certified immunizing pharmacist or through a nurse practitioner or physician assistant at Minute Clinic locations.

Recently, in a bold move, CVS Health quits Chamber of Commerce. The decision to quit came after revelations that the chamber is undertaking a global lobbying campaign against antismoking laws. Last year, CVS Health declared their mission to increase public health by discontinuing tobacco sales chain wide.

CVS Health and Target Corporation recently entered into a definitive agreement for CVS Health to acquire Target’s pharmacy and clinic businesses. CVS Health is set to acquire Target’s more than 1,660 pharmacies across 47 states and operate them through a store-within-a-store format, branded as CVS/pharmacy. Target’s nearly 80 clinic locations will be rebranded as MinuteClinic, while CVS Health will open 20 new clinics in Target stores within 3 years of the acquisition being completed. These new clinics will be part of CVS Health’s overall plan to operate 1,500 clinics by 2017. CVS Health and Target plan to develop five to ten small, flexible format stores over a 2-year period as well, branded as TargetExpress and will include a CVS/pharmacy. This relationship will bring together two of the top retailers in the U.S. The complementary strengths, brands, and cultures will enhance the health care experience for Target shoppers while expanding CVS Health’s retail presence in new markets. This will allow CVS Health to reach more patients, and with their proven success of growing its business, the relationship is expected to benefit Target’s long-term traffic and sales growth. Target will center on continuing to deliver products and experiences to help guests eat well, be active, and find natural and clean label products. Read more about this exciting acquisition from the CVS Health Newsroom!