The National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) announced its ECON 09 Business Programs for the 2009 Marketplace Conference, to be held June 28-July 1 in Boston, Massachusetts. The presentations are new additions to the Marketplace program.

On Tuesday, June 30, Dan O’Connor, chief executive officer of RetailNet Group, will present Survival Retailing 2010, which will examine current economic indicators and forecast where we are as an economy, the forces that will lead to the end of the recession and why this is important and what it means for retailers and manufacturers as they develop their plans for the first and second quarter of 2010. The program will explore companies’ strategies for attracting consumers amid an economy-based shift in consumers.

Thom Blischok, president of consulting and innovation with Information Resources, Inc., will present a session titled Discovering the Real Truth about Shopper Behavior on Wednesday, July 1. The program will examine the attitudes shaping shoppers’ behaviors. Blischok will introduce a new kind of shopper called the “conservative shopper,” who is more concerned about ensuring on-going financial viability for the long term and who buys less and more carefully.

“Everything NACDS does positively impacts the bottom lines of our member companies, and the presentations by Mr. O’Connor and Mr. Blischok at this year’s Marketplace Conference are no exceptions. They will assist attendees in their business planning with insights on consumer behavior in these challenging economic times,” said NACDS President and CEO Steven C. Anderson, IOM, CAE. “NACDS’ ECON 09 provides multi-meeting, multi-media programs that deliver timely, actionable information that positively impacts the bottom lines of NACDS members and meeting participants, and can be readily applied to their businesses.”

NACDS ECON 09 was developed by the industry and for the industry, with the recommendations of the NACDS Retail Advisory Board (RAB), earlier this year. The RAB, which advises the NACDS Board of Directors, includes representatives of NACDS Chain and Associate member companies.

Decisions will be made on an ongoing basis throughout the year to ensure that every NACDS meeting and deliverable includes information that is timely and reflective of the current state of affairs.

NACDS members may access ECON 09 from NACDS meetings earlier in the year by clicking on the ECON 09 logo on the NACDS homepage:

The Excellence in Oncology Awards (EinO) 2009 are now open for entry. The Awards, now in their fourth year, recognise and reward best practice in oncology management, education and patient care throughout the UK. Winners will be announced at a prestigious dinner on 6 October 2009 during the National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Cancer Conference.

“The work undertaken by teams and individuals involved in cancer care across the UK is nothing short of inspiring and it’s terrific to be in a position to reward those who are leading the way,” commented Mr Richard Sainsbury, President of the British Oncological Association, Consultant Breast Surgeon at Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust and Chairman of the Excellence in Oncology Awards 2009 judging panel. “We like to think the benefit of winning an Award extends beyond the prize alone, giving winners’ projects additional profile and potential resourcing, which will be strong inducement to enter.”

No matter how large or small, all projects that have made a difference in cancer management and patient care will be considered. By championing best practice in the treatment and care of cancer patients, the Awards enable teams and individuals to promote the valuable work they do both internally and externally.

The award categories and prizes are:

- Best Patient Support Initiative in Oncology (£1,500 research grant)
- Best Professional Education Initiative in Oncology (registration, flights and accommodation for European Oncology related meeting of choice)
- Oncology Team of the Year (£1,500 grant)
- Excellence in Oncology Nursing (£1,500 grant)
- Best Charitable Initiative (engraved silver rose bowl)
- BOA Young Investigator Award (£500 research grant)
- Excellence in Cancer Reporting (£500)
- Pfizer Lifetime Achievement (£2,500)

The awards are judged by a panel of eminent leaders in the oncology arena and supported by Pfizer Limited and the British Oncological Association.

Who can enter?

- All oncology healthcare professionals (surgeons, oncologists, nurses, GPs, pharmacists, dieticians, radiologists, haematologists, psychologists, and other allied health professionals such as physiotherapists and occupational therapists)
- Patient and professional associations as well as charities.

The deadline for entries is 5.00pm on Friday, 31 July 2009. More information and an entry form are available on the website: http://www.excellenceinoncology.org.

Source
Excellence in Oncology Awards

The New Jersey Senate on Thursday unanimously passed legislation (A 2030) that would require pharmacists to inform consumers when they have substituted generic drugs for brand-name prescriptions, the Newark Star-Ledger reports. The General Assembly approved the legislation in February and it now moves to Gov. Jon Corzine (D).

If Corzine signs the bill, the law would take effect within 180 days, making New Jersey the first state in the U.S. to have such a requirement. State Sen. Christopher Bateman (R) said, “We’re hoping that other states will follow our lead” (Megerian, Newark Star-Ledger, 5/22).

Reprinted with kind permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.

© 2009 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.