Content about Migrated

October 19, 2011
Heavy 
hITters

How many times have we heard it said that one day in America there will be a nationwide health information network that will link patients, providers and payers seamlessly, efficiently and securely, across a universal standardized system?

How many times have we heard it said that one day in America there will be a nationwide health information network that will link patients, providers and payers seamlessly, efficiently and securely, across a universal standardized system? It’s been the dream of health information technology strategists and engineers for decades. And yet, when you take a look at the healthcare experience of the typical American consumer, you’d be hard-pressed to find evidence that we are any closer to achieving that dream today than we were in the days of the Carter administration.


October 19, 2011
Mr. Eder goes to Washington

I’m not going to lie about it. The first thing I thought as I checked into the U.S. Capitol on official business for the story that appears at the bottom of this page was: “Wow, this is pretty cool.”


I’m not going to lie about it. The first thing I thought as I checked into the U.S. Capitol on official business to moderate a special Congressional briefing hosted by the American Association of Homeopathic Pharmacists was: “Wow, this is pretty cool.”


Truth is, the American Association of Homeopathic Pharmacists believed that Drug Store News could make some pretty complex ideas understandable for a group of 20-somethings whose job it is to tell 435 members of Congress what to think and how to vote.


October 19, 2011
Pfizer push may spur growth

Pfizer recently launched a line of single-ingredient supplements under a new ProNutrients brand that includes Omega-3, Probiotic and Fruit & Veggie.

Pfizer recently launched a line of single-ingredient supplements under a new ProNutrients brand that includes Omega-3, Probiotic and Fruit & Veggie. Considering that fish oils and probiotic supplements are already up 8% and 34.3%, respectively, according to SPINSscan Conventional, powered by Nielsen, for the 12 weeks ended Sept. 3 across food, drug and mass (excluding Walmart), a marketing push from one of the larger multivitamin suppliers may spur additional growth.


October 19, 2011
Pharmacy drive-throughs get green makeover

Retailers can find myriad ways to reduce their carbon footprints, but one way has become a common feature: the drive-through lane.

Retailers can find myriad ways to reduce their carbon footprints, but one way has become a common feature: the drive-through lane.

Over the past few years, Cincinnati-based E.F. Bavis and Associates has a number of drive-through systems designed to preserve the convenience of drug delivery by car window while also helping drug stores use less energy and produce less carbon dioxide.


October 19, 2011
Renewed skin

Dark spots, skin colorations and uneven skin tone can be among the most difficult skin problems to treat, and now women have a new solution with the Garnier Skin Renew Clinical Dark Spot Corrector.


NEW YORK — Dark spots, skin colorations and uneven skin tone can be among the most difficult skin problems to treat, and now women have a new solution with the Garnier Skin Renew Clinical Dark Spot Corrector.


Positioned as a daily moisturizer with the highest concentration of pure vitamin C available within the mass market, the formula promises to decrease the enzyme production that triggers melanin production, breaks up pigmentation clusters and accelerates cell turnover. 


October 19, 2011
ReportersNotebook — Beauty Care, 10/24/11

Coty’s Rimmel London brand is gearing up for spring with an array of new makeup for eyes and face.

SUPPLIER NEWS — Coty’s Rimmel London brand is gearing up for spring with an array of new makeup for eyes and face. New products include Volume Flash ScandalEyes mascara ($6.99), Glam’Eyes HD eye shadow ($5.99), Match Perfection 3 Tone blush ($4.97 at Walmart) and Exaggerate eyeliner ($6).


October 19, 2011
ReportersNotebook — Chain Pharmacy, 10/24/11

The Medicines Co. and generic drug maker Teva Pharmaceutical Industries have reached a settlement that will allow Teva to start selling a generic version of one of MDCO’s drugs by the end of the decade.

SUPPLIER NEWS — The Medicines Co. and generic drug maker Teva Pharmaceutical Industries have reached a settlement that will allow Teva to start selling a generic version of one of MDCO’s drugs by the end of the decade. The drug makers announced the settlement in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware, whereby Teva can launch a generic version of the injectable anticoagulant drug Angiomax (bivalirudin) in June 2019.


October 19, 2011
Spin control

FyrFlyz could be the next big kid craze. The new spinning toy on a string from i-Star Entertainment has earned a spot on a number of “Hot Toy” lists, including the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio and Dr. Toy Top Ten Toys lists.


NEW YORK — FyrFlyz could be the next big kid craze. The new spinning toy on a string from i-Star Entertainment has earned a spot on a number of “Hot Toy” lists, including the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio and Dr. Toy Top Ten Toys lists.


With multicolored LED lights that create unique light patterns when the toy is spun, FyrFlyz puts a new twist on the classic children’s spinning toy. Priced at $8.99 and aimed at kids 8 years and older, the toy is poised to be a holiday hit.


October 19, 2011
Sporting an up trend

The market for sports nutrition looks good. All categories grouped by Drug Store News in this space — nutrition and energy bars, energy shots and ready-to-drink protein shakes — currently are trending up significantly.

The market for sports nutrition looks good. All categories grouped by Drug Store News in this space — nutrition and energy bars, energy shots and ready-to-drink protein shakes — currently are trending up significantly. Taken together, sales of these three categories are up 15.8% to $2.2 billion for the year.


October 19, 2011
Value, demos make up sales in cosmetics

The cosmetics segment has been on the upswing, and the momentum is likely to continue within the mass market as beauty mavens get increasingly thrifty and do their research when it comes to purchasing makeup.


The cosmetics segment has been on the upswing, and the momentum is likely to continue within the mass market as beauty mavens get increasingly thrifty and do their research when it comes to purchasing makeup.


The cosmetics segments for face (up 4%), lips (up 2.7%) and eyes (up 2%) all experienced a lift for the 52 weeks ended Sept. 4 at food, drug and mass (excluding Walmart), according to data from SymphonyIRI Group.


October 19, 2011
Virtual health care at the forefront of Pharmacy 2.0

Technology in retail pharmacies has traditionally 
meant the adoption of robotic dispensing systems and electronic health records, but in recent years, pharmacy retailers have been bringing technology to the consumer level.


Technology in retail pharmacies has traditionally 
meant the adoption of robotic dispensing systems and electronic health records, but in recent years, pharmacy retailers have been bringing technology to the consumer level.


In September, Rite Aid teamed up with OptumHealth to become the first to provide “virtual clinics” in a retail pharmacy setting in some stores in the Detroit area.


October 13, 2011
Changing Channels — A bag that powers electronics, candle holder makers and 'green' lunch boxes

Not a jetpack, but close
RFA Brands has launched Powerbag, a line of bags and backpacks with a built-in charging system for devices ranging from phones to tablets to music players.
Price: $139.99
MyPowerBag.com
 

October 11, 2011
Antacids expect some upset

Sales of antacid tablets are up almost 3%. And while nobody is suggesting that upward trajectory is going to change anytime soon, there will be a decent amount of volatility in the coming year.


Sales of antacid tablets are up almost 3%. And while nobody is suggesting that upward trajectory is going to change anytime soon, there will be a decent amount of volatility in the coming year.


October 11, 2011
At-home color shines

Gel manicures are one of the more popular salon services in the professional market, and now beauty mavens can create the look at home — for a fraction of the price — thanks to several new innovations hitting the mass market.

Gel manicures are one of the more popular salon services in the professional market, and now beauty mavens can create the look at home — for a fraction of the price — thanks to several new innovations hitting the mass market. As a result, the nail color segment at mass is likely to experience continued growth.


After years of lackluster sales, nail color has, and continues to be, a shining star at mass with sales experiencing double-digit gains. Now, several manufacturers are launching at-home gel polish to further drive sales and bring the salon experience home.


October 11, 2011
Beautifying the bathroom

Kimberly-Clark is making toilet paper covers fashionable with new Cottonelle toilet paper roll covers.

IRVING, Texas — Kimberly-Clark is making toilet paper covers fashionable with new Cottonelle toilet paper roll covers. The toilet paper roll covers, which are available online at RespectTheRoll.com and through Cottonelle’s Facebook page, have been produced in three colorful designs and have been a hit with consumers.


At the height of website traffic, more than 72 requests per minute have been recorded for the covers. Through the Facebook page, Kimberly-Clark is giving away 25,000 additional roll covers. Roll covers will be on sale online for $4 each starting Nov. 1.

October 11, 2011
BP monitor touts convenience

The blood-pressure monitor for the tech-savvy, early-adopter baby boomer generation has arrived. Health Lab recently started distributing its iHealth BP3 blood-pressure monitoring system through Walgreens, Target and Best Buy, among other retailers.

The blood-pressure monitor for the tech-savvy, early-adopter baby boomer generation has arrived. Health Lab recently started distributing its iHealth BP3 blood-pressure monitoring system through Walgreens, Target and Best Buy, among other retailers.

October 11, 2011
Caregivers likely to be nonadherent

About half of people who provide care and support to loved ones said they are more likely to be nonadherent to their own personal medication regimen than to neglect providing medications to those they are caring for, according to a new study.

About half of people who provide care and support to loved ones said they are more likely to be nonadherent to their own personal medication regimen than to neglect providing medications to those they are caring for, according to a study by researchers at Harvard University, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and CVS Caremark. Given this, there’s a significant opportunity for pharmacists and doctors to identify and work with caregivers to improve medication adherence and chronic disease management.


October 11, 2011
Cargo theft, display swiping behind increase in retail crime

The problem with shoplifting these days isn’t Little Johnny pocketing a pack of bubblegum, Joe LaRocca, senior asset protection adviser for the National Retail Federation, recently told CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street” during a broadcast interview.

The problem with shoplifting these days isn’t Little Johnny pocketing a pack of bubblegum, Joe LaRocca, senior asset protection adviser for the National Retail Federation, recently told CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street” during a broadcast interview. No, it’s a lot of Little Johnnies who are systematically swiping the entire gum display that’s becoming the problem. 


October 11, 2011
Child vaccinations up despite fears

At the beginning of the year, a major global controversy was settled when it turned out that a study published in The Lancet in 1998 linking the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine to autism in children turned out to be a whopper of a fraud.


At the beginning of the year, a major global controversy was settled when it turned out that a study published in The Lancet in 1998 linking the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine to autism in children turned out to be a whopper of a fraud.


But despite the exposure of the study’s author — and outbreaks of preventable diseases among children in the United States and Europe, thanks to parents who opted to have their kids vaccinated — it appears that sowing fear of childhood vaccines still appears to have some currency.


October 11, 2011
Chill out

Unwind from the grind. That’s the tagline iChill Beverages is using to compel consumers to pick up its iChill relaxation shot, the yin to 5-Hour Energy’s yang.


IRVING, Texas — Unwind from the grind. That’s the tagline iChill Beverages is using to compel consumers to pick up its iChill relaxation shot, the yin to 5-Hour Energy’s yang.


If sales of 5-Hour Energy, or any energy shot for that matter, are any indicator, sales executives at iChill Beverages won’t be “chillaxing” anytime soon. Across the single-shot category, sales are up 37.7% to $189.7 million, according to SymphonyIRI Group across food, drug and mass (excluding Walmart) for the 52 weeks ended Aug. 7.

October 11, 2011
Consumer awareness boosts probiotics

Probiotics are fast moving from a “what’s that?” category to a “what’s hot” category.

Probiotics are fast moving from a “what’s that?” category to a “what’s hot” category. Most people today know the health benefits associated with probiotic use — a 2010 MaCorr Research consumer survey reported that 73% of consumers correctly identified probiotic use, up from only 47% in 2007 — and that’s thanks in large part to the educational efforts of Procter & Gamble with its Align launch two years ago, and prior to that, Danone with its Activia yogurt launch.


October 11, 2011
Convenience equals growth

Sales of home-testing kits, not including pregnancy test kits or ovulation test kits, have grown just under 8% over the past year, according to Angie Echele, VP at Genesis Sales and Marketing.

Sales of home-testing kits, not including pregnancy test kits or ovulation test kits, have grown just under 8% over the past year, according to Angie Echele, VP at Genesis Sales and Marketing. And as pharmacy continues to realize its role as a community healthcare hub, the business of home-testing kits is only going to grow, Echele added.


October 11, 2011
Cosby ready to lead retail biz

As of Oct. 1, Mark Cosby officially stepped into the role of president of CVS/pharmacy. Cosby’s new stint at 1 CVS Dr. is a far cry from his prior role as president of Macy’s stores. But Cosby’s reputation as an innovator is bound to tie in nicely with the 
Woonsocket, R.I.-based trailblazer.


As of Oct. 1, Mark Cosby officially stepped into the role of president of CVS/pharmacy. Cosby’s new stint at 1 CVS Dr. is a far cry from his prior role as president of Macy’s stores. But Cosby’s reputation as an innovator is bound to tie in nicely with the 
Woonsocket, R.I.-based trailblazer.


October 11, 2011
CVS explores cause, cost of nonadherence

How much adherence lowers total costs, why some patients do not take their medications as prescribed and whether what’s saved in health care offsets higher drug costs are among the questions that have not been as clearly understood.


Industry members would likely agree that those patients who are adherent to their prescription medications use less health care and have lower overall costs; however, how much adherence lowers total costs, why some patients do not take their medications as prescribed and whether what’s saved in health care offsets higher drug costs are among the questions that have not been as clearly understood.


October 11, 2011
Dispense-as-written Rxs 
exacerbating healthcare costs

“Dispense-as-written” prescriptions are exacerbating medication nonadherence and costing the U.S. healthcare system up to $7.7 billion annually, according to a study by researchers at Harvard University, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and CVS Caremark.


“Dispense-as-written” prescriptions are exacerbating medication nonadherence and costing the U.S. healthcare system up to $7.7 billion annually, according to a study by researchers at Harvard University, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and CVS Caremark.