HEALTH

Americans should be preparing for a doozy of a flu season, professor says
10 Truths of OTC No. 6: Consumers must be at the heart of OTC
Truth 6: Consumers must be at the heart of OTC

Our first five articles talked about understanding big systemic truths – market, economic, technological – as good starting points to create a compelling OTC product journey. But even those insights will be found wanting without also understanding the underlying consumer and cultural truths. OTC businesses and their products need to offer answers to problems and needs states that consumers actually want to have solved, not what they think needs to be solved.

Dressed for the future

This week I was reminded by my two great nieces that we need to be setting goals and looking into the future. Living in the present or only perpetuating the status quo will not fuel growth and reinvention.

When you look in the near and not-so-near future, do you think your company will be in the same industry? In this rapidly shifting business environment, that’s a question that must be asked. Companies and industries are in constant change. To remain competitive and relevant you must imagine a new future.
Rules of the road: Keeping profits amid regulatory change

Author Robert C. Gallagher once observed that “Change is inevitable—except from a vending machine.” The same can be said about the global (and U.S.) regulatory landscape. U.S. brand owners are often intimidated and bypass global opportunities because the regulatory challenge is daunting.

Well, it is possible to keep the change and profit.

A few rules of the road:
Winter is coming, and so is cough-cold season

CHICAGO — Winter is coming, and with it the sneezes and sniffles, the wheezes and coughs that typically make for a robust cough-cold season. According to a Neilsen blog post from Wednesday, more than half (59%) of annual over-the-counter cold and flu medications were purchased between November 2016 and January 2017, according to Nielsen retail measurement sales for the 52 weeks ended Aug. 26, 2017.

Overall, dollar sales grew 7% during last year's 2016-17 cold and flu season, compared to the 2015-16 period, Nielsen reported.
NIH division director dispenses diabetes advice in advance of National Diabetes Month

BETHESDA, Md. — For the more than 30 million people in the U.S. with diabetes, the director of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases division of the National Institutes of Health urged people to eat better as part of a best practice in taking care of their condition.
LifeStyles again partners with Movember Foundation in support of men's health

ISELIN, N.J. — LifeStyles on Tuesday announced a partnership with the Movember Foundation and its Skyn brand of condoms for the third consecutive year in North America. With a shared commitment to men's health, Skyn will reintroduce their special Movember edition condoms, which are available for purchase at major retailers across the U.S. and Canada.

As part of the partnership, LifeStyles will donate $0.50 from each sale of its 12-count custom Skyn Condoms box to the Movember Foundation (up to $50,000).
Bayer introduces Walgreens-exclusive saline nasal care line

WHIPPANY, N.J. — Bayer Consumer Health on Wednesday introduced its hydraSense daily nasal care line exclusively through Walgreens. Company officials say will offer drug-free saline nasal care solutions for infants and children ages 6 months and older.
One Drop partners with FitBit to enhance data-driven diabetes management

NEW YORK — One Drop, a leading digital diabetes care and self-management platform, on Tuesday announced a multi-part collaboration with Fitbit that will use the power of Fitbit wearable data to bring enhanced data-driven care management tools to the diabetes community.
Giant Food partners with higi on diabetes prevention program

LANDOVER, Md. — Ahold's Giant Food on Monday announced the deployment of a National Diabetes Prevention Program, PreventT2, utilizing in-store nutritionists as lifestyle coaches to help prevent type 2 diabetes diagnoses across the patients they serve. Groups of participants are learning the skills they need to make lasting changes such as eating better, losing a modest amount of weight, being more physically active and managing stress, the grocer noted.