Hy-Vee’s Amber Pharmacy Names New Executives
Aaron Wiese was named president of Hy-Vee Pharmacy Solutions and Amber Pharmacy, a subsidiary of Hy-Vee. He succeeds Mike Agostino, who was named Hy-Vee’s VP of pharmacy business development.
“As the health care landscape continues to evolve, we need someone who can help us focus on expanding our services to our patients,” said Randy Edeker, chairman, CEO and president of Hy-Vee. “Mike is the perfect person to work on new strategies and develop both specialty and traditional pharmacy opportunities so we can provide expanded patient services.”
Agostino joined Amber Pharmacy in 2008 and was named president in 2017. He also is past president of the National Association of Specialty Pharmacy and currently serves on the board of the association.
Wiese joined Hy-Vee in 1993 and has held roles in various areas of Hy-Vee’s health-and- wellness operations, most recently as VP, Hy-Vee Health Markets/health-and-wellness strategy.
“Aaron has amassed a great amount of knowledge in all aspects of health, wellness and pharmacy,” Edeker said. “The specialty pharmacy business is very challenging but is a key part of our overall health strategy, and making sure we’re taking the best care possible of our patients. Aaron is the right leader for these areas as we position ourselves for future growth.”
Prescription Drug Buy Back
Hy-Vee Pharmacy also announced that 52 pharmacies across Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri and Nebraska will be taking part in the National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on April 27. The drug take-back areas will be located in the store’s pharmacy or clinic’s parking lot. All prescription medication, including controlled substances, will be accepted.
The Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) National Take-Back Day is a safe, convenient and responsible way to dispose of unused or expired prescription medications. The last Take-Back Day brought in more than 900,000 pounds of unused or expired prescription medication across the country.
“Drug addiction and overdose deaths claim the lives of tens of thousands of people each year, and Hy-Vee is continually working to assist in the fight,” said Kristin Williams, SVP and chief health officer for Hy-Vee. “We are proud to offer this easy way for people to dispose of their medications in a safe manner.”
Additionally, 43 Hy-Vee pharmacies in the state of Iowa have designated prescription drug take-back receptacles year-round in partnership with the Iowa Governor’s Office of Drug Control Policy.
An employee-owned corporation operating more than 245 retail stores across eight Midwestern states, West Des Moines, Iowa-based Hy-Vee is No. 15 on Progressive Grocer’s 2018 Super 50 list of the top grocers in the United States.
