• New York: NYU Langone Health is the first health system to use Amazon's palm recognition technology for patient check-ins. So far, the technology has been used at stadiums, universities, and Whole Foods stores. At NYU Langone, the new system, which is optional for patients, will help quickly verify patients' identities at appointments. It has been integrated into the health system's EHR and will replace ID checks, as well as other traditional identity verification methods. However, the palm-scanning technology will not collect any healthcare records from providers, and all data collected from patients will be encrypted. Patients can also unenroll from Amazon One and request that their data be deleted at any time. (Goldman, Axios, 3/4)
• Oklahoma: The Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) has reported two cases of measles in the state, which are likely linked to growing outbreaks in West Texas and New Mexico. According to OSDH, the two measles cases were in people with reported exposures to the outbreaks in Texas and New Mexico. "These cases highlight the importance of being aware of measles activity as people travel or host visitors," said Kendra Dougherty, director of infectious disease prevention and response at OSDH. "When people know they have exposure risk and do not have immunity to measles, they can exclude themselves from public settings for the recommended duration to eliminate the risk of transmission in their community." Currently, there have been 223 measles cases reported in Texas and 33 cases in New Mexico. Many of these cases have been in unvaccinated children. So far, there has been one confirmed death from measles, which occurred in an unvaccinated child in Texas. There has also been another suspected measles death in New Mexico, which occurred in an unvaccinated individual who tested positive for the virus after death. According to STAT, the current measles outbreak is the largest the United States has seen in six years. (Soucheray, CIDRAP News, 3/11; Edwards, NBC News, 3/11; Joseph, STAT, 3/12)
• Rhode Island: CVS Health has announced plans to open around a dozen new stores focused primarily on pharmacy instead of retail goods. The new stores will be, on average, less than 5,000 square feet, or less than half the size of a typical CVS location. They will also stock health-related products, such as over-the-counter medication and first aid care, but will not have other consumer items, such as groceries, greeting cards, or beauty supplies. According to Julie Utterback, senior equity analyst for Morningstar, CVS' decision to create a new store format is surprising since the company has largely focused on downsizing over the last few years. However, she noted that switching the focus primarily to prescriptions makes sense since over 80% of the company's sales last year came from the pharmacy department. "That is where most of the value is generated," Utterback said. "The front of their store operations has been in question for a while." According to CVS, the company plans to open the new stores in areas where residents are getting most of their household items from Walmart or dollar stores but don't have a place to get prescriptions or immunizations. "This work is really focused on introducing or adding pharmacy access in communities that are lacking," said Amy Thibault, a CVS spokesperson. (Valinksy, CNN, 3/10; King, Wall Street Journal, 3/8)

With drug spending on the rise, health system pharmacies are facing mounting pressure to prove their value and maintain revenue streams. Discover the three steps that health system leaders must take to revamp their pharmacy integration strategy and stay ahead in an increasingly competitive healthcare landscape.