John Coster Joins Rite Aid As Vice President, Federal Affairs and Public Policy

Rite Aid Corporation (NYSE: RAD) today announced that John Coster, Ph.D., a health care and government affairs veteran with extensive experience in state and federal health care programs and regulatory issues, has joined Rite Aid as vice president, federal affairs and public policy.

Coster, 45, is responsible for maintaining and developing relationships with policymakers, members of Congress, and regulatory agencies and identifying and impacting Federal health program legislation and trends that will impact Rite Aid’s business objectives and operations. He’s also responsible for developing and executing policy and strategy relating to Federal and state health care issues. Coster is based in Washington, D.C. and reports to Mark de Bruin, executive vice president, pharmacy for Rite Aid.

Before joining Rite Aid, Coster served as vice president, policy & programs, for the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) where he was responsible for policy issues relating to federal health care programs including Medicare and Medicaid, and regulatory issues including the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS). He brings extensive experience in pharmaceutical coverage from his prior experience as a professional staff member of the United States Senate Special Committee on Aging from 1990 to 1994, including being involved in drafting the Medicaid pharmaceutical rebate provisions of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (OBRA) of 1990 and the Veterans Health Care Act of 1992. During this time, he also served as a member of the President’s Task Force on Health Care Reform.

Between 1984 and 1990 Coster served as a health analyst at the United States Congress Office of Technology Assessment and a Policy Fellow at the Center Drugs and Public Policy at the University of Maryland Graduate School in Baltimore. He began his career as a staff member of the American Society of Hospital Pharmacists, ASHP.

“John’s extensive experience working with retail pharmacy and state and national issues surrounding health care programs coupled with his public policy and pharmacy background will be a great asset to Rite Aid and our government affairs division,” de Bruin said. “His proven ability in community pharmacy and governmental relations will help us continue to work to offer our patients valuable pharmacy services.”