Cough-Cold and Flu

WOONSOCKET, R.I. – CVS Pharmacy is brewing its own new product innovation with the recent introduction of a first-to-market product format - a cold remedy prepared using a single-cup brewing system such as Keurig.

The CVS Health Cold & Flu Relief Single Serve Cups was created with customer needs in mind, as the innovation team within CVS Pharmacy Store Brands identified an opportunity to combine the convenience of a single-brew coffee maker with the benefits of a soothing warm beverage to ease cold and flu symptoms.

HOLLY SPRINGS, N.C. - Seqirus has begun shipping FLUAD, the company announced Tuesday, for the 2016-2017 flu season since gaining approval from the Food and Drug Administration late November last year. FLUAD is the first and only adjuvanted seasonal influenza vaccine approved in the United States, and was specifically developed to help protect adults aged 65 and older from the flu.

DEERFIELD, Ill. - Walgreens is now offering flu shots at all of its pharmacies, including Duane Reade pharmacies in New York, and at all Walgreens Healthcare Clinic locations, the  company announced Monday.

CINCINNATI - Kroger on Monday announced a new health and wellness campaign in partnership with The Little Clinic and Feeding America, the nation's largest domestic hunger relief organization. From Aug. 15, 2016 through April 1, 2017 Kroger will donate one meal through the Feeding America network of food banks for every flu shot administered at all Kroger family of pharmacies or The Little Clinic locations.

ATLANTA - A new CDC study published Tuesday in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases provides more evidence on the benefits of flu vaccination among older adults. The study looked at flu-associated hospitalizations among people 50 and older during the 2010-2011 flu season and found that people who had gotten a flu vaccine reduced their risk of flu-associated hospitalization by half.

The nasal spray segment is up 2% from the previous year in the drug channel. Nasal spray segment leaders Afrin (Bayer), NeilMed and private label have all increased sales in the last year. Private label nasal sprays and Afrin both rose 6%, while NeilMed sinus rinse brand saw the largest increase in the segment at 14.3% — all NeilMed products rose 7%.

Sales of OTC medicines continue on a steady pace with dollar volumes up half a billion dollars over the first half of 2016, according to data culled from IRI. Drug Store News earlier this year reported $44 billion in OTC sales for calendar 2015, citing IRI figures.