Longs Drug Stores monthly comps down 1.4%

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. Longs Drug Stores reported that total retail drug sales for the four-week period ended Aug. 28 were $364 million, an increase of 0.9 % over last year.

                                Total same-store sales for the month decreased 1.4%.                                                             

Longs estimated that preliminary August pharmacy same-store sales were unfavorably impacted by approximately 275 to 300 basis points as a result of recent generic introductions being substituted for higher-priced brand name drugs. In addition, a reduction in cold, flu, and allergy prescriptions, primarily due to the impact of the switch of the prescription allergy medicine Zyrtec to over-the-counter status, had an unfavorable impact of approximately 125 to 150 basis points on pharmacy same-store sales.