Content about healthcare

PARIS — Sanofi-Aventis and its U.S. consumer healthcare division Chattem on Tuesday afternoon announced the Food and Drug Administration has approved the Allegra (fexofenadine HCl) family of allergy medication products for over-the-counter use in adults and children 2 years of age and older.

Products will be on store shelves in March, the companies announced.

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — The next chapter for CVS Caremark officially is under way as the company announced on Monday the next stage of its previously announced transition plan and officially named Larry Merlo, president and COO, as CEO, effective March. 1.

Tom Ryan, chairman, president and CEO, will remain nonexecutive chairman until his retirement at the company’s annual meeting of shareholders in May.

WASHINGTON — The drive by Republicans to overturn the landmark health-reform legislation enacted last year threatens the health of as many as 129 million Americans with pre-existing conditions, the Obama administration’s top health official warned Tuesday.

WASHINGTON — The National Retail Federation announced that it has urged the House to support a vote to repeal last year’s healthcare-reform law, saying the measure already has begun to discourage job creation and should be replaced with legislation that reduces healthcare costs while protecting jobs.

BETHLEHEM, Pa. — B. Braun has launched its Prontosan wound management gel — a product used in the healthcare setting for cleaning wounds, as well as moistening and lubricating absorbent wound dressings — for over-the-counter use.

The ready-to-use gel contains PHMB and betaine, the surfactant for the cleansing and moistening of wounds. Its nontoxic and biocompatible formula also offers excellent skin tolerance, the company said.

MILWAUKEE — Aurora Health Care said it would be the first healthcare system in Milwaukee to receive federal recognition for adopting electronic health records, the organization said.

Beginning this month, hospitals and other healthcare providers can register their intent to achieve “meaningful use” of EHRs and qualify for federal incentive payments, part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

Six of Aurora’s hospitals are registered in the incentive program. The organization also runs a network of retail pharmacies in the region.

NEW YORK — Convenience and cost savings offered by retail-based health clinics are attractive to urban patients. Given sufficient cost savings, those urban patients are likely to seek care at such facilities, causing possible further growth and employment opportunities for nurse practitioners in these clinics, according to research published in the Journal of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 13 — The student chapter of the nation’s oldest national pharmacists’ organization has teamed up with the federal government to launch a new outreach effort for improving medication safety.

ORLANDO, Fla. — Companies that lower co-payments on prescription drugs while promoting disease management can lower their own healthcare costs, according to a three-year study commissioned by the Florida Health Care Coalition and published in the journal Health Affairs.

The study, which focused on patients with diabetes, found that companies combining disease-management programs with “value-based insurance design” can earn a return of $1.33 for every dollar they spend upfront on medication.

ATLANTA — Nationwide rates of asthma have been on the rise in recent years, though they’ve risen at a slow pace, according to a new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

According to the report, released Wednesday, around 24.6 million people in the United States had asthma in 2009, meaning a prevalence of 8.2%. Rates have risen by around 1.2% per year since 2001, with asthma attack prevalence staying between 3.9% and 4.3% between 1997 and 2009.

CHICAGO — Bolstered by a strong recent uptrend in sales and earnings and by clear signs that its massive realignment is beginning to bear real fruit, Walgreens’ top executives delivered an upbeat assessment of the company’s progress and its potential as a multichannel retail and healthcare powerhouse at the company’s annual shareholders’ meeting Wednesday.

NEW YORK — Cough, cold and flu are among the most commonly experienced conditions in adults and children, leading them to seek medical care.

In an effort to support healthcare provider education around these topics, Kaz has sponsored CE lessons for pharmacists, technicians, and nurse practitioners.