Rite Aid Pharmacy Adding Retail Clinics

Camp Hill, Pa.-based Rite Aid Corp. reported total drugstore sales of $2.044 billion, a 50.7 percent increase, for the four weeks ending March 20, 2008, compared with $1.356 billion for the same time period last year. Same-store sales increased 2.6 percent; while pharmacy same-store sales rose 1 percent, and front-end same-store sales increased 5.7 percent. Prescription revenue accounted for 67.6 percent of drugstore sales. In addition, the company announced plans to roll out a pilot program with doctors at Columbia, Md.-based MedStar Health, offering urgent care services in four of its stores, beginning summer 2008. Rite Aid plans to add 12 more urgent care clinics after the pilot program is complete. The doctors will provide specialized urgent care services, in addition to treating minor ailments. Rite Aid operates more than 5,000 stores in 31 states.