Walgreens is planning to close around 1,200 locations, as the drugstore chain and its rivals struggle to define their role for U.S. shoppers who no longer look to them first for convenience.

Walgreens agreed to pay $106 million to settle lawsuits that alleged it submitted false payment claims with government health care programs for prescriptions that were never dispensed.

The Lynchburg Police Department has asked for the public’s assistance in the search of a man involved in a robbery at a convenience store.

America’s drugstores are testing smaller locations and more ways to offer care as more store closings loom.

A lawsuit has been filed in the case of a Massachusetts teen who died after participating in a spicy tortilla chip challenge on social media.

Walgreens is finalizing a plan to fix its business that could result in the closure of hundreds of additional stores in the next three years.

Urban and rural communities have come to depend on pharmacies as a trusted care option and a place for advice.

Walmart is closing its health centers and virtual care service after struggling to find success with the offerings.

Drugstore chains CVS Health and Walgreens plan to start dispensing the abortion pill mifepristone in a few states.

Walgreens has agreed to pay $275,000 to settle allegations about service in some of the national pharmacy chain's Vermont stores during the coronavirus pandemic.

Walgreens is chopping its dividend nearly in half as the drugstore chain looks to strengthen its balance sheet.

Drugstore employees around the country have started calling in sick to highlight a lack of support from their employers.

Oh, Halloween candy. Isn’t it just the best?

Walgreens has named a new CEO as pharmacy staff walked off the job this week over concerns that working conditions are putting employees and patients at risk.

The CEO of Walgreens Boots is stepping down after less than three years at the helm of the drug store chain.

The state of Nevada has reached a $285 million settlement with Walgreens regarding the pharmacy chain’s role in the opioid epidemic.

San Francisco’s district attorney has released surveillance video of the shooting death of a suspected shoplifter by an on-duty Walgreens security guard.

California's Medicaid program will continue to pay Walgreens about $1.5 billion each year.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is withdrawing a $54 million contract with Walgreens.

Walgreens says it will not start selling an abortion pill in 20 states that had warned of legal consequences if it did that.

Walgreens says it won’t sell an abortion pill by mail in 20 conservative-led states.

Drugstore chains are still trying to find enough employees to put a stop to temporary pharmacy closures.

A huge opioid settlement dragged Walgreens to a $3.7 billion loss in its fiscal first quarter, but the drugstore chain still beat Wall Street forecasts.

Now, the agreement’s terms will go to the states for their review, and each state will have until the end of 2022 to join, officials said.

Walgreens extended its push into more comprehensive health care with its VillageMD unit acquiring another urgent and primary care chain, Summit Health-CityMD, in a deal worth close to $9 billion.

A federal judge in Cleveland has awarded $650 million in damages to two Ohio counties that sued CVS, Walgreens and Walmart over the way the national pharmacy chains distributed opioids to their communities.

A federal judge has ruled that Walgreens can be held responsible for contributing to San Francisco’s opioid crisis for over-dispensing opioids for years without proper oversight and failing to identify and report suspicious orders as required by law.

The Walgreens pharmacy chain has reached a $683 million settlement with the state of Florida in a lawsuit accusing the company of improperly dispensing millions of painkillers that contributed to the opioid crisis.

Trial opened Monday in Florida’s opioid epidemic lawsuit against the Walgreens pharmacy chain, which state officials accuse of prioritizing profits over health by improperly dispensing millions of powerful painkillers that caused tens of thousands of deaths.

The Roanoke Police Department released multiple images on Wednesday afternoon as it continues to investigate last week’s deadly hit-and-run on Williamson Road.

Jurors in the fraud trial of former Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes returned to the courtroom Thursday to listen to a replay of audio recordings that captured her brash promises about a vaunted blood-testing technology the propelled her meteoric rise and scandalous downfall.

Former Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes spent another five hours on the witness stand Tuesday sparring with a federal prosecutor aiming to prove criminal allegations that she misled investors, customers, and patients about a flawed blood-testing technology that she spent years touting as a medical breakthrough.

Pharmacies have lost in a groundbreaking trial in Ohio over the toll of opioids, but there's no assurance the results will hold up on appeal.

CVS Health will close hundreds of drugstores over the next three years, as the health care giant adjusts to changing customer needs and converts to new store formats.

Cities and counties in the U.S. that want to hold pharmacies accountable for the opioid crisis are closely watching a federal trial that’s coming to a close.

Picking up your prescriptions is about to get easier.Walgreens has teamed up with Wing to become the first U.S. retailer to make deliveries using drones.

Walgreens says it will close five more stores in San Francisco next month because of organized retail theft.

America’s employers added just 235,000 jobs in August, a modest gain after two months of robust hiring at a time when the delta variant’s spread has discouraged some people from flying, shopping and eating out.

For the first time in a year, Mexican school children have returned to classrooms — at least in the southern state of Campeche.

This year, Red Nose Day will rise again.

In Virginia, state vaccine coordinator Dr. Danny Avula said the state could hit Biden’s goal earlier. But several governors cautioned it must come with a dramatic increase in vaccine supply. “It could be a delay for people to actually get a vaccine because of the operational constraints," she said. We can’t disappoint people who eagerly want a vaccine,” said Pat Allen, director of the Oregon Health Authority. Elsewhere, governors met Biden's goal with enthusiasm.

Walgreens has been selected as the latest pharmacy to provide COVID-19 vaccinations in Virginia. As part of the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program, Walgreens will provide an initial allotment of 3,510 vaccines beginning Thursday for eligible individuals. Appointments are required in order to receive a vaccine and opened to eligible individuals based on state guidelines. Individuals can schedule their appointments online and find a list of participating Walgreens locations to receive the vaccine at Walgreens.com/ScheduleVaccine or by calling 1-800-Walgreens. Individuals can sign up to receive alerts about available vaccine appointments by clicking here.

Jim Thurman counts himself among the converts who recognize the importance of taking a COVID-19 vaccine. AdHealth authorities say first-generation COVID-19 vaccines still protect against variants of the virus that are emerging in different parts of the world. AdIn a separate announcement, Moderna also said it plans to manufacture 700 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine globally this year, up from 600 million. Bosnia, a country of 3.3 million, expects 1.2 million vaccines through COVAX. On Wednesday, Ghana has become the first country to receive COVID-19 vaccines through COVAX.

While people across the country struggle to register for a vaccine dose at those large retailers, locally-owned Blacksburg Pharmacy has been vaccinating at least 100 people a week. The pharmacy gets a mix of its own orders of vaccine but also takes any doses the New River Health District may not be able to distribute. The pharmacy gets a mix of its own orders of vaccine but also takes any doses the New River Health District may not be able to distribute. “That should allow that Health District to prioritize patients better, because if one store isn’t getting as much vaccine as another as you might leave a patient behind who’s more eligible,” Puckett said. Puckett said the pharmacy expects to start getting more doses next week.

That includes both nursing homes, where residents get 24-hour-a-day medical care; assisted living facilities, where people generally need less help; and other types of group homes. In many places, home operators and residents' relatives have watched with frustration as states opened vaccine eligibility to other populations before the work in long-term care homes was finished. The government tasked CVS and Walgreens with administering the shots to long-term care locations in nearly every state. Severine Petras watched a COVID-19 outbreak develop at a Pennsylvania assisted living home her company operates a couple weeks before the first vaccines arrived. As of Sunday morning, 3.5 million doses have been given in long-term care facilities, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

FILE - Starbucks COO Roz Brewer talks about the proposed redesign of a Starbucks store in New Jersey as she speaks Wednesday, March 20, 2019, during the company's annual shareholders meeting in Seattle. Walgreens has tapped Roz Brewer as its new CEO, which will make her the only Black woman currently leading a Fortune 500 company. Brewer will take over as Walgreens CEO on March 15, 2021 after a little more than three years as Starbucks' chief operating officer. At Starbucks, Brewer revamped stores, taking out clutter and cutting down on administrative work so employees could focus on customers and speed up service. Prior to joining Starbucks, Brewer served as president and CEO of Sam’s Club, the members-only warehouse channel of Walmart Inc. She also grew membership and improved merchandise there.

In October, a panel advising the federal government suggested setting aside 10% of the vaccine supply to distribute as an extra boost to the states with greater shares of disadvantaged groups. Vulnerable people will face more rationing in states such as New Mexico that have higher shares of vulnerable people. The analysis shows 15 states and Washington, D.C., have the largest shares of vulnerable, low-income minorities. A federal set-aside is not the only way to get vaccine to vulnerable neighborhoods. In their vaccination plans, 18 states have said they will consider race and income as they map out vaccine distribution.

The retail colossus opened an online pharmacy Tuesday that allows customers to order medication or prescription refills, and have them delivered to their front door in a couple of days. All have upped online services and touted their abilities to deliver prescriptions and other goods as the COVID-19 pandemic has pushed more consumers to stay home. The company said its online pharmacy will offer commonly prescribed medications in the U.S., including creams, pills, as well as medications that need to stay refrigerated, like insulin. They can also get discounts at 50,000 physical pharmacies around the country at Costco, CVS, Walgreens, Walmart and other stores. Two years ago, it spent $750 million to buy online pharmacy PillPack, which organizes medication in packets by what time and day they need to be taken.

Under the plan, trained staff from CVS and Walgreens will deliver the vaccines to each nursing home and administer shots. “We are trying to eliminate all potential barriers to getting folks safe and effective vaccines,” Mango said. The Trump administration's initial attempts to promote coronavirus testing in nursing homes and to ensure sufficient supplies of protective gear were hampered by missteps and led to widespread complaints from nursing home operators and advocates for older people. Vaccines will be on their way to nursing homes within 24 to 48 hours after the FDA approves their use, Mango said. Nursing homes and long-term care facilities will not be charged for the program.

(AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)CLEVELAND Lawsuits filed by two Ohio counties against retail pharmacy chains claiming their opioid dispensing practices flooded communities with pain pills and were a a public nuisance can continue, a federal judge in Cleveland has determined. U.S. District Judge Dan Polster rejected the pharmacy chains' motion to dismiss the suits, ruling Thursday that the Ohio law does indeed apply to Lake and Trumbull counties' nuisance claims. Polster is overseeing more than 2,000 lawsuits filed by local governments, tribal authorities and others against companies they blame for fueling an opioid epidemic that has killed 430,000 people since 2000. The two northeast Ohio counties' lawsuits against CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid, Walmart and Giant Eagle were the first to target retail pharmacy chains as both distributors and dispensers of painkillers. Those claims seek damages from the retail chains as distributors of painkillers but not as dispensers.

Walgreens quarter ended May 31, encapsulating a three-month period in which consumer activity came to a screeching halt. Walgreens furloughed more than 16,000 employees at the peak of the pandemic in the United Kingdom. Sales at its Boots stores there dropped nearly 28% on a constant currency basis. Shares of Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. slumped 9%, close to a new low for the year. The pandemic accelerated changes planned for its Boots stores, which includes closing optician locations and reducing staff at the U.K. support office.

Copyright 2019 CNN(CNN) - The "Big Three" U.S. drug distributors and a major drugmaker have reached a $260 million deal to settle a lawsuit ahead of a federal trial over the opioid crisis. Drugmaker Teva is to contribute $20 million in cash and $20 million worth of suboxone, a drug that treats opioid addiction, AP reported. Six drug companies accused in thousands of lawsuits over their role in the nation's opioid epidemic had been slated for a high-profile trial Monday. They included the three pharmaceutical distribution companies, a smaller distributor called Henry Schein Medical, generic drug company Teva Pharmaceuticals and pharmacy chain Walgreens, according to court documents. Failed talks Friday lasted more than 10 hours and took place between the four distribution companies' CEOs, attorneys general from Tennessee, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Texas, and lawyers representing over 2,000 state, local and Native American tribal governments.

Copyright 2019 CNN(CNN) - Six drug companies accused in thousands of lawsuits over their role in the nation's opioid epidemic failed to reach a settlement with governments across the country, setting the stage for a high-profile trial Monday. There were talks earlier this week with five companies settling for potentially settling for $50 billion, according to a source familiar with the negotiations. The companies proposed to pay a combined $18 billion over 18 years. Purdue Pharma previously reached a proposed settlement agreement in the litigation. The New York Times first reported news of a nearly $50 billion settlement.

ROANOKE, Va. - Two nationwide corporations will no longer sell e-cigarettes. Kroger announced Monday that it will soon stop selling them. Kroger said it will stop selling e-cigarettes after it sells through its current inventory. Walgreens also announced on Monday that it would stop selling e-cigarettes. Walgreens had this to say about the decision:"We have made the decision to stop selling e-cigarette products at our stores nationwide as the CDC, FDA and other health officials continue to examine the issue.

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images(CNN) - Walgreens is asking customers to no longer openly carry guns into its stores in states where open carry is legal, the company announced Thursday. It joins fellow retailers Walmart and Kroger, which announced similar policies the day before. Watts said Moms Demand had been pushing Walmart and Kroger to stop allowing open carry since 2014, and Walgreens since 2015. Watts said that in addition to keeping employees and customers safer, asking customers not to openly carry guns in their stores puts these retailers on a new side of the gun debate. "Prohibiting open carry sends a very strong cultural signal that companies are siding with the safety of families," Watts said.

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images(CNN) - Walgreens will close about 200 locations across the United States as part of its plan to cut costs. After buying roughly half of Rite Aid's stores two years ago, Walgreens expanded its American footprint to more than 9,500 stores. The planned closures represent less than 3% of Walgreens locations. Walgreens did not provide a list of the stores that it plans to close. Parent company Walgreens Boots Alliance announced in June it would close 200 of its more than 2,400 Boots stores in the United Kingdom.

The Washington Post reports that 76 billion prescription pain pills from the country's biggest pharmaceutical companies poured into the US from 2006 through 2012. Kolodny said the data reflects pills that were produced by these companies, prescribed by doctors and dispensed to patients at pharmacies. An evolving epidemicBetween 2006 and 2012, the number of opioid pills originating from these companies climbed from 8.4 billion to 12.6 billion, according to The Washington Post's analysis. But the burden may not just fall on the DEA, Kolodny said. The US Food and Drug Administration, in approving new opioids, opened the gates to other drug companies seeking to recoup on their investments.

Certain eye drops marketed by Walmart and Walgreens have been voluntarily recalled. RIVERHEAD, N.Y. - If you use eye drops, this might be a good time to check your medicine cabinet. Several eye drops and ointments exclusively sold at Walmart and Walgreen stores have been recalled because they may not be sterile, the Food and Drug Administration said. Altaire Pharmaceuticals Inc. issued voluntary recalls for various Equate products, including for allergy relief, solutions, eye drops and gel drops -- all manufactured and labeled for Walmart. Walgreens recallFor Walgreens, Altaire has recalled several over-the-counter and prescription eye drops and ophthalmic ointments, including moisturizing eye drops, sodium chloride ophthalmic ointment, sodium chloride ophthalmic solution and lubricant eye ointment.

Spencer Platt/Getty Images(CNN) - Looking for more proof of just how hard it is for traditional retailers to compete in a world that's increasingly dominated by Amazon? Nordstrom and Gap are the worst-performing stocks in the S&P 500 so far this year. Several other big brick-and-mortar retailers are among the market's biggest losers of the first half of 2019. All of those companies have recorded sluggish sales and profits as consumers increasingly shop online. And Home Depot, which faces less competition from Amazon and online shopping in general, is up more than 20%.