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Natural Products Solutions recently announced the launch of VirMax T Testosterone. As part of that launch, DSN caught up with NPS president and CEO Marty Gallant to discuss men’s health supplements. 


DSN: Men aren’t too proactive addressing their own health issues. How do you market to them?


SUPPLIER NEWS — Pharmacy automation manufacturer Kirby Lester has launched a version of one of its tablet counters with streamlined verification software. The company announced the launch of KL1Plus, which it said combines the KL1 tablet counter with the updated software.


SUPPLIER NEWS — According to a Nielsen report issued last month, higher consumer confidence levels, increased impulse buying and consumer intent to spend more could all lead to an upside surprise in 2012 holiday spending. Pet care will be one growth sector; Neilsen predicted pet owners will drive 5.9% dollar and 3.1% unit growth. The rest of home care, including cleaning and households products — even holiday wrapping paper — will see modest, price-driven dollar gains and unit sales declines, according to Nielsen.


LEMOYNE, Pa. — An interactive kiosk that allows customers to order prescription glasses and contact lenses online, a special shelf for diabetes products and a new interior design are among the newest features at Rite Aid’s newest version of its Wellness store in Lemoyne, Pa. A path of wooden flooring leads directly to the store’s pharmacy, whose immediate surrounding area has been cleared of merchandise to give it a more open look.

Nielsen’s SVP consumer and shopper insights Todd Hale points to Kroger’s loyalty card as one of the best examples of consumer data aggregation. “Not only do you save money when you use their loyalty card, but you [also] save money no matter where you shop,” he said of Kroger’s 1-2-3 Rewards Visa Card, which is linked to its loyalty program.

That catapults actionable shopper data to an entirely new level — Kroger knows what its best customers are buying from other retailers.

Walmart in September partnered with HumanaVitality on a program that incentivizes healthier behavior, offering 5% savings on select healthier-for-you products. The program has about 1 million members.

“With [HumanaVitality’s] large population, we’ve got a lot of opportunities to collect data and to understand how this is … changing behaviors of individual shopping experiences,” said Joe Woods, HumanaVitality CEO.

In what its president and CEO called a “significant milestone,” Watson Pharmaceuticals announced last month that the U.S. Federal Trade Commission and European Commission had approved its acquisition of Swiss generic drug maker Actavis. Watson announced the $5.6 billion acquisition of Actavis in April, a deal that is expected to make Watson the third-largest generic drug maker in the world, after Teva Pharmaceutical Industries and Mylan.

GARDEN GROVE, Calif. — Depilatories are experiencing double-digit growth, according to 52-week data ended Sept. 9 from SymphonyIRI Group, and Nad’s is looking to snap up some sales with its new Nose Wax for men and women. The DIY wax system is positioned as the world’s first nose wax. It is applied with a special Safetip applicator that is designed to target the hair around the edge of the nostril. Each package of Nad’s Nose Wax contains three treatment packs, a “moustache stencil” for men, post-wax calming wipes and antibacterial wipes.

According to Surescripts, almost 400,000 physicians — about 58% of all office-based doctors — were e-prescribing at the end of 2011. The net effect: About 36% of all prescriptions were sent electronically in 2011.


For the full report, click here.

Apple sold 5 million iPhone 5 phones in the first weekend; thus, the new smartphone was available, so the newly compatible iHealth Wireless Blood Pressure Wrist Monitor has a lot of potential. Right now, it’s one of the hottest selling items in the blood-pressure monitor space with more than $137,000 in sales for the 12 weeks ended Aug. 12, up a whopping 45,882.2% across food, drug and mass (excluding Walmart), according to SymphonyIRI Group. The new wrist monitor adds motion sensor technology to increase accuracy.

New, holistic models for integrated, patient-centered care are emerging from the fog of health reform almost as fast as you can say “accountable care organization.” But pharmacy and retail clinic operators aren’t waiting for ACOs to fully ripen; they’re forging new alliances with hospital-based health systems and building the kind of continuity-of-care networks that could be a template for the new era of evidence-based medicine and improved patient outcomes.


Beyond 2013, competitive bidding around durable medical equipment supplies could push many pharmacy operations out of the diabetes business altogether. “By 2016, all durable medical equipment suppliers, mail-order and retail, will be subject to competitive bidding or competitive bidding pricing for [diabetes testing supplies],” noted the NCPA in recent written testimony to Congress. According to an NCPA poll, that could drive as many as 92% of independents out of the 
diabetes business.