Additionally, Stop & Shop’s pharmacists are authorized to administer second COVID-19 booster shots to eligible patients per the CDC’s latest recommendations regarding additional boosters.

The COVID-19 anti-viral medication, Molnupiravir, can be prescribed to those 18 and older, while Paxlovid is authorized for use by adults and children ages 12 and older weighing at least 88 pounds. Availability of the anti-viral oral prescription will vary by store.

Once prescribed, Stop & Shop encourages the infected individual to stay home and send someone to pick up the prescription. Stop & Shop employees will also be available to deliver the prescription to customers’ vehicles via curbside delivery in the stores’ parking lot.

According to the FDA, the COVID anti-viral prescriptions are for the treatment of COVID-19 in those who are at higher risk of developing more severe outcomes from the disease. The FDA also said that the anti-virals are not a substitute for COVID-19 vaccinations.

“As the COVID-19 pandemic has evolved over the past two years, Stop & Shop Pharmacy has provided our customers and communities with convenient and safe ways to protect their families and loved ones,” said Katie Thornell, director of pharmacy operations at Stop & Shop. “By now offering COVID-19 anti-virals, as well as second boosters to eligible customers, we look forward to helping more community members defend themselves and their families against COVID-19 and its evolving variants.”

Stop & Shop pharmacies have also partnered with the Biden-Harris Administration to distribute over the counter, self-administered, rapid COVID-19 tests to eligible Medicare Part B recipients at no cost. Customers should bring their Medicare Part B red-white-and blue card to the pharmacy when receiving the at-home tests at their local Stop & Shop Pharmacy.

Medicare Part B recipients are also eligible to receive up to eight rapid tests per calendar month at no cost.

Stop & Shop will also administer the CDC authorized second COVID-19 booster to eligible customers, including those aged 50 and older and those considered immunocompromised by the CDC, at all 230 pharmacies along the East Coast, including all locations in New York state. Stop & Shop continues to offer COVID-19 vaccines for those aged 5 and older.

Availability varies by store and those interested should visit stopandshop.com/covid-vaccine to schedule an appointment.

The post Stop & Shop Pharmacies To Carry COVID-19 Anti-Viral Medication appeared first on Shelby Report.

Many categories that experienced high growth during the pandemic’s first year have retreated partially, but remain higher than pre-pandemic levels. Other previously struggling categories have seen modest increases over the past year.

In looking at the past two years of data beginning with the week ending Feb. 15, 2020, shoppers made more trips than average in March 2020 when the pandemic set in, but drastically reduced trips that April as they began sheltering at home.

The impact of lockdowns, masking and social distancing paved the way for a lasting decline in weekly, in-person shopping trips starting in May 2020, compared to the prior year. Catalina reports that the trend continues as guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control continued to shift. While people by and large have been shopping less, they continue to buy more in-store. Spending per trip has increased by 22 percent on average, compared to pre-pandemic levels. Overall, average weekly spending on groceries has increased by 16 percent. 

The top 10 categories seeing the greatest sales growth during year one of the pandemic have either seen strong year-over-year increases since 2019 (pre-pandemic) or experienced declines last year. The majority are still above where they were when the pandemic began:

A year ago, face masks accounted for 80 percent of the home health testing category. Its strong sales performance has continued even as masking guidelines established by the CDC have evolved, and COVID-19 home testing kits were launched in April 2021.

The Catalina data also reveals that people by and large are still conscious about fighting germs, just not as much, with sales for liquid hand soaps, personal moist towelettes, and household disinfectants all dropping in 2021, but currently still reflecting higher sales than pre-pandemic levels.

Catalina reports that three of the top 10 categories are foods that continue to show an increased appetite for convenience and/or comfort, including processed cheese slices, bacon, refrigerated cookie and brownie dough, snacks/cakes and frozen breaded vegetables. An outlier includes the camping/sports accessories category, which continues to reflect consumers wanting to spend more time outdoors. 

The rise of home baking as a hobby has stuck, though not at the same level as year 1, as categories like flour, condensed milk, baking extracts and waxed paper products have fallen, but are still higher than pre-pandemic levels. Scratch baking may not be quite as popular with yeast sales continuing to decline over the past year, but brownie, cookie and cornbread mixes continue to sell well.

According to Sean Murphy, chief data and analytics officer for Catalina, its data scientist teams rely on the company’s Buyer Intelligence Platform for insights on evolving shopping behavior. “By applying our analytics skills and a combination of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning tools to such data, we can more effectively help retailers and CPG brands identify relevant audiences and develop marketing, media and activation strategies that both predict and influence purchase decisions in real time,” Murphy said.

Catalina is a leader in shopper intelligence and highly targeted in-store, TV, radio and digital media that personalizes the shopper journey. It helps retailers, CPG brands and agencies optimize every stage of media planning, execution and measurement to deliver $6.1 billion in consumer value annually.

Catalina has operations in the U.S., Costa Rica, Europe and Japan.

To learn more, visit catalina.com.

The post Catalina Reports Shopping Behavior For CPG Brands Continues To Shift appeared first on Shelby Report.

Following a positive COVID-19 test at The Little Clinic, patients will receive their antiviral prescription, which may be filled at a Kroger family pharmacy. The Kroger pharmacies are expecting inventory of the treatments to arrive this week.

Patients may schedule a test here and select “COVID Viral Test (Test Active Infection)” as the reason for their visit.

Kroger Little Clinics In Georgia

• Little Clinic, 700 Highway 29 N, Athens;
• Little Clinic, 505 Dacula Rd, Dacula;
• Little Clinic, 1751 Newnan Crossing Boulevard E, Newnan;
• Little Clinic, 800 Glenwood Ave SE, Atlanta;
• Little Clinic, 457 Nathan Dean Boulevard, Dallas,
• Little Clinic, 564 Crosstown Drive, Peachtree City;
• Little Clinic, 774 Hwy 96, Bonaire;
• Little Clinic, 378 Marketplace Parkway, Dawsonville;
• Little Clinic, 3240 S. Cobb Drive SE, Smyrna;
• Little Clinic, 125 Main Street Market Place SE, Cartersville;
• Little Clinic, 1931 Jesse Jewell Parkway SE, Gainesville;
• Little Clinic, 1227 Rockbridge Road, Stone Mountain;
• Little Clinic, 1355 South Park Street, Carrollton;
• Little Clinic, 4321 Hartley Bridge Road, Macon;
• Little Clinic, 6001 Cumming Highway, Sugar Hilla;
• Little Clinic, 5550 Bethelview Road, Cumming
• Little Clinic, 1685 Old Pendergrass Road, Jefferson; and
• Little Clinic, 400 Peachtree Industrial Boulevard, Suwanee.

The U.S. COVID-19 Therapeutic Locator will update when these locations have product on site.

Kroger Health, the healthcare division of The Kroger Co., is one of America’s leading retail healthcare organizations, with over 2,200 pharmacies and 220 clinics in 35 states serving more than 14 million customers. Its organizational team consists of 22,000 healthcare practitioners – from pharmacists and nurse practitioners, to dietitians and technicians. Kroger says it believes in practicing at the top of our licenses and enabling “food as medicine” to help prevent or manage certain diseases. 

For more information, visit krogerhealth.com.

The post Kroger Participates In ‘Test To Treat’ COVID-19 At The Little Clinics appeared first on Shelby Report.

Customers can visit any local Kroger store with a pharmacy to pick up complimentary masks while supplies last, and associates are also encouraged to retrieve supplies for themselves and their families. 

“Kroger is grateful for the ongoing role we’re able to play in helping help our associates and customers protect themselves and our communities against COVID-19,” said Felix Turner, manager of corporate affairs for Kroger’s Atlanta division. “We have many accessible stores across the region and invite our customers to visit to pick up free non-surgical respirator masks for their household.”

Here’s what customers should know:

• Up to three free non-surgical N95 masks are available to every person/customer.
• In every Kroger store with a pharmacy, simply look for the branded display or ask an associate for assistance.
• To learn more about the importance of masking, visit cdc.gov/coronavirus.
• To learn how to properly put on and remove the non-surgical N95 mask, visit here and here.

“As part of the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program, Kroger Health is incredibly proud to be part of the largest deployment of personal protective equipment in U.S. history and continue our partnership with the Biden Administration and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to reduce the spread of the aggressive Omicron variant in the communities we serve,” said Dr. Marc Watkins, Kroger’s chief medical officer. “Wearing a mask and getting vaccinated continue to be the top defense tools in our nation’s fight against COVID-19. I encourage everyone to take advantage of the free non-surgical N95 masks and make an appointment today to get vaccinated or boosted.”

To schedule a COVID-19 vaccination or booster appointment at a local Kroger pharmacy, visit kroger.com/covidvaccine.

Kroger Health, the healthcare division of The Kroger Co. family of companies, is a retail healthcare organization with more than 2,200 pharmacies and 220 clinics in 35 states serving more than 14 million customers. Its affiliated team of 22,000 healthcare practitioners – from pharmacists and nurse practitioners, to dietitians and technicians – are committed to helping people live healthier lives. Learn more at krogerhealth.com.

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“We are very pleased to be the first retail pharmacy location to offer this service,” said Jackie Morse, VP of pharmacy. “Our pharmacies have provided many important services throughout the pandemic, and this new COVID-19 testing option is another key example of how we continue to look for ways to help our customers, team members and communities.”

Those interested in obtaining a test must first register by visiting ineedacovid19test.com. After completing an online assessment and selecting a Meijer location, individuals will be provided a voucher that will be used to pick up their test kit. The voucher can be printed or shown on a smartphone.

After performing the self-collection nasal swab, individuals will return the specimen in the specimen bag to the same Meijer pharmacy where they received the test kit and deposit it into a clearly designated drop box at the pharmacy. Specimens must be returned the same day they are collected.

The specimen will then be shipped to a certified laboratory for a PCR analysis. Test results are expected within 48 to 72 hours. The service is available Monday through Friday.

For those with symptoms, tests may be picked up and specimens dropped off by a family member or friend with proof of voucher. Meijer encourages customers who use this service to wear a mask or face covering when picking up a test and returning a specimen to the drop box.

Individuals will receive an email when their test results are available. The test results and a printable report will be available in their account.

“eTrueNorth continues to enable PCR COVID-19 tests across the country since the start of this pandemic through pharmacies,” said Coral May, eTrueNorth CEO. “Providing an option for a PCR test where the individual self-collects their specimen should dramatically increase Americans’ access to COVID-19 testing. We are very thankful to Meijer for being the first retailer to offer these self-collection tests to their customers.”

Meijer operates more than 258 supercenters and grocery stores throughout Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Wisconsin. A privately-owned and family-operated company since 1934, the company claims to have pioneered the “one-stop shopping” concept and it has evolved through the years to include expanded fresh produce and meat departments, as well as pharmacies, comprehensive apparel departments, pet departments, garden centers, toys and electronics.

For more information, visit meijer.com.

In April 2020, eTrueNorth began its participation in the drive-through COVID-19 testing program in partnership with the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. 

eTrueNorth is actively recruiting independent and small chain pharmacies to join its network of specimen collection sites to offer COVID-19 testing to Americans. Interested pharmacies should visit etruenorth.com/join.

The post Meijer To Provide Free At-Home PCR Tests For COVID-19 appeared first on Shelby Report.

According to CNBC, the court wrote in an unsigned opinion: “Although Congress has indisputably given OSHA the power to regulate occupational dangers, it has not given that agency the power to regulate public health more broadly. Requiring the vaccination of 84 million Americans, selected simply because they work for employers with more than 100 employees, certainly falls in the latter category.” 

FMI President and CEO Leslie G. Sarasin made the following statement welcoming the Supreme Court’s ruling:

“We are pleased the Supreme Court recognized the challenges OSHA’s rule would have imposed on food retailers and manufacturers, our employees and, ultimately, American consumers. The court’s decision today to pause OSHA’s vaccine and testing mandate for private businesses will help ensure the food industry is able to continue meeting our customers’ needs as efficiently and effectively as possible amid the ongoing supply chain and labor disruptions.

“FMI and our member companies remain committed to working with OSHA, the CDC and the White House to encourage and facilitate vaccinations among our employees and communities while preserving our members’ ability to provide their customers with the foods and products they need to keep their families fed and safe in the new year.

“As FMI and our partner associations’ filing to the court noted, the food industry has gone to extraordinary lengths to promote vaccination among our associates and communities, including investing $1 billion in incentives to encourage their employees to get vaccinated. Our 12,000 food retail pharmacies have administered a significant percentage of the nation’s COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters, a role they continue to embrace in communities across the nation.” 

On behalf of its members, the NGA said it supports the court’s ruling, which takes some pressure off independent community grocers who already face daunting staffing challenges amid a nationwide labor shortage.

“Independent grocers remain focused on doing what they have done since day one of the pandemic, providing their communities with access to food, essential products and other vital services. The ruling is a great relief for our industry as it staves off a burdensome mandate that would have created further disruptions and impaired our members’ ability to properly serve the needs of their communities,” said Greg Ferrara, NGA president and CEO.

Independent supermarkets and wholesalers have worked since the vaccines were first available to ensure their frontline workers had access, and NGA members with pharmacies have been important partners to help deliver vaccines and boosters to the communities that they serve.

“We support efforts to increase vaccination rates that will not place added pressure on an already strained food supply chain and labor force,” Ferrara said.

FMI – The Food Industry Association works with and on behalf of the entire industry to advance a safer, healthier and more efficient consumer food supply chain. FMI brings together a wide range of members across the value chain – from retailers that sell to consumers, to producers that supply food and other products, as well as the wide variety of companies providing critical services – to amplify the collective work of the industry.

NGA is the national trade association representing the retail and wholesale community grocers that comprise the independent sector of the food distribution industry. An independent retailer is a privately owned or controlled food retail company operating a variety of formats. The independent grocery sector is accountable for about 1.2 percent of the nation’s overall economy and is responsible for generating more than $250 billion in sales, 1.1 million jobs, $39 billion in wages and $36 billion in taxes.

The post Supreme Court Blocks Vaccine-Testing Mandate For Private Business appeared first on Shelby Report.

Publix Pharmacy also will administer third doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine to certain immunocompromised children ages 5-11.

Additionally, consistent with the CDC’s most recent guidance, eligible individuals ages 18 and older who completed their primary vaccine series with the Pfizer vaccine can receive a booster dose of any COVID-19 vaccine as early as five months after receiving their last primary series dose. 

This reduction in time between the last primary series dose and booster dose only applies to individuals who completed their primary vaccine series with the Pfizer vaccine. Recommended intervals for the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines have not changed. 

Publix Pharmacy continues to offer first, second, third and booster doses of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, as well as first and booster doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to eligible individuals. Eligibility details are available at cdc.gov/coronavirus.

Interested individuals also may receive the flu shot at the same time as the COVID-19 vaccination.

Customers can use the online reservation system at publix.com/covidvaccine to see if a nearby Publix Pharmacy offers their preferred vaccine. Customers can also visit vaccines.gov to find the nearest Publix Pharmacy offering the Pfizer or Johnson & Johnson vaccines, or walk into any Publix Pharmacy to ask.

Online appointments

Appointments are encouraged for the most efficient vaccination experience and to ensure the preferred vaccine is available.

Costs and insurance

COVID-19 vaccinations are provided to eligible individuals, while supplies last, at no cost to the individual. 

Customers with health insurance will need to bring their insurance card. Medicare members should bring their red, white and blue Medicare Part B card. Customers without health insurance will need to provide their driver’s license or Social Security number.

The most up-to-date information about Publix’s COVID-19 vaccination efforts can be found at publix.com/covidvaccine.

Publix currently operates 1,293 stores in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia. 

For more information, visit the company’s website, corporate.publix.com.

The post Pediatric COVID-19 Booster Doses Available at Publix Pharmacy appeared first on Shelby Report.

The medication will only be available at certain Walmart and Sam’s Club locations in a limited number of states until more supply is available. The medication is only available with a prescription from a health care provider.

Customers and health care providers can go to walmart.com/covidmedication and use the store locator to find their nearest store or club that is carrying this medication to send the electronic prescription. Since the COVID-19 antiviral medications are prescribed to those with COVID-19, it will only be available at Walmart and Sam’s Club by curbside pickup or via drive-through pharmacy windows.

Walmart worked closely with the federal government and state health departments to select locations where states determined the treatment was needed most. While initial medication supply is limited, Walmart and Sam’s Club pharmacies stand ready to help expand treatment access nationwide.

“We are committed to working with our state and federal partners to provide access to new treatment options like authorized COVID-19 antiviral medications, as they become available,” said Kevin Host, SVP of pharmacy. “This medication offers customers the option to recover at home and helps reduce the burden on our hospitals and communities. As we have since the beginning of the pandemic, we’re proud to support our communities through everyday essentials, healthy food, vaccines, medication and other health care needs as we all work together to weather the pandemic.”

More information about these new medications to help treat COVID-19 can be found here.

Walmart and Sam’s Club pharmacies will continue to support states and the federal government to help increase the access and availability of authorized COVID-19 antiviral medication and COVID-19 vaccines. Walmart will also continue to make flu vaccines and other preventative vaccines available.

To stay up-to-date on how Walmart and Sam’s Club are supporting the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, visit corporate.walmart.com/covid-vaccine.

Paxlovid has not been approved but has been authorized for emergency use by FDA under an EUA, for the treatment of mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in adults and pediatric patients (12 years of age and older weighing at least 40 kg) with positive results of direct SARS-CoV-2 viral testing, and who are at high-risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death.

Molnupiravir has not been approved but has been authorized for emergency use by FDA under an EUA, for the treatment of mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in adults with positive results of direct SARS-CoV-2 viral testing, and who are at high-risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death for whom alternative COVID-19 treatment options authorized by the FDA are not accessible or clinically appropriate.

The emergency use of Paxlovid and Molnupiravir is only authorized for the duration of the declaration that circumstances exist justifying the authorization of the emergency use of drugs and biological products during the COVID-19 pandemic under Section 564(b)(1) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. § 360bbb-3(b)(1), unless the declaration is terminated or authorization revoked sooner.

The post Select Walmart, Sam’s Club Pharmacies To Dispense COVID-19 Meds appeared first on Shelby Report.

Children who receive the vaccine at a Stop & Shop pharmacy will get a special Marty the robot sticker and coloring activity to help keep them occupied during the 15-minute waiting period.

In addition, all people over age 18 can now receive a Pfizer, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) COVID-19 vaccine booster shot at any of the grocer’s 234 pharmacies, with availability varying by location. This follows the FDA’s recent decision to expand Emergency Use Authorization for Pfizer and Moderna booster vaccines to all individuals 18 and older, in addition to new guidance from the CDC.

Customers can now schedule an appointment for either the pediatric COVID-19 vaccine or the booster shot for eligible individuals over 18. Availability for walk-ins will be determined by store supply levels and appointments are recommended. Stop & Shop will require patients under 16 to be accompanied by a parent, legal guardian or authorized representative to be vaccinated.

Booking an appointment in advance allows patients to complete their paperwork and medical questionnaire online for a contactless experience at the pharmacy. To schedule an appointment, customers can visit the Stop & Shop COVID-19 website at stopandshop.com/covid-vaccine for information on specific vaccine availability near them.

“With many families gathering together again for the holidays this year, expanding eligibility for booster doses and pediatric vaccines are critical when it comes to helping our communities stay protected against COVID-19,” said Katie Thornell, director of pharmacy operations at Stop & Shop. “We are excited to begin providing a vaccine to our customers as young as 5 years of age to help minimize risk of spreading and contracting the virus. Our entire pharmacy team remains committed to offering convenient access to all vaccinations.”

This week, CDC strengthened their COVID-19 booster recommendations. CDC now recommends that all individuals age 18 and older should receive a booster either six months after completing their Pfizer or Moderna series, or two months after receiving a single dose of Johnson & Johnson (Janssen). CDC recommendations allow patients to choose any of the currently FDA-approved or authorized COVID-19 vaccines for their booster dose.

Both the pediatric COVID-19 vaccine and booster shot will be administered to Stop & Shop customers at no out-of-pocket cost. During all immunizations, customers will be required to wear masks and pharmacists will be equipped with masks, gloves and face shields. The Stop & Shop pharmacy team utilizes the same thorough disinfection protocols for all patients, disinfecting and sanitizing between each patient to ensure the health & safety for all.

For more information on Stop & Shop’s rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine, visit its COVID-19 Vaccine page: stopandshop.com/pages/ss-pharmacy.

The Quincy, Massachusetts-based Stop & Shop Supermarket Co. LLC is an Ahold Delhaize USA Company and employs 58,000 associates and operates more than 400 stores throughout Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York and New Jersey.

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Publix Pharmacy also continues to offer first, second and third doses of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, as well as first and booster doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, to those eligible. Eligibility details are available at cdc.gov/coronavirus.

Those interested may also receive the flu shot at the same time as the COVID-19 vaccination.

Availability

COVID-19 vaccinations are provided at in-store Publix Pharmacy locations:

• Moderna: all locations;
• Pfizer: select locations; and
• Johnson & Johnson: select locations.

Customers can use the online reservation system at publix.com/covidvaccine to see if a nearby Publix Pharmacy offers their preferred vaccine. Customers can also visit vaccines.gov to find the nearest Publix Pharmacy offering the Pfizer (adult or pediatric) or Johnson & Johnson vaccines, or walk into any Publix Pharmacy to ask.

Online appointments

Appointments are encouraged for the most efficient vaccination experience and to ensure the preferred vaccine is available. Appointments cannot be made by calling Publix or the Publix Pharmacy.

Costs and insurance

COVID-19 vaccinations are provided to eligible people, while supplies last, and at no cost. Customers with health insurance will need to bring their insurance card. Medicare members should bring their red, white and blue Medicare Part B card. Customers without health insurance will need to provide their driver’s license or Social Security number.

The most up-to-date information about Publix’s COVID‑19 vaccination efforts can be found at publix.com/covidvaccine.

Lakeland, Florida-based Publix, the largest employee-owned company in the U.S. with more than 225,000 associates, currently operates 1,289 stores in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia. For 24 consecutive years, the company has been recognized by Fortune as a great place to work. For more information, visit the company’s website, corporate.publix.com.

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