HEALTH

GNC absolved of wrongdoing in case against USPLabs
PITTSBURGH — As part of an agreement with the Department of Justice in connection with that agency's investigation into USPLabs, GNC Holdings has been absolved of knowingly selling products in violation of the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, the specialty channel retailer announced Wednesday.
Renew Life Probiotics raises gut-wrenching issue for women
CLEARWATER, Fla. -- It's a gut-wrencher of an issue -- as many as 72% of women have experienced an occassional digestive issue in the past year, including the occasional constipation, gas or diarrhea, yet the majority of those women (64%) aren't willing to disclose that "reveal" to their closest friends, according to a survey commissioned by Renew Life Probiotics.

Vagisil's ‘Sex and the City’ spoof gets women talking about taboo subject
Kline Group: TENS and other self-care devices hold 'great potential'
FDA to make hearing aids available OTC

SILVER SPRING, Md. -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday announced its commitment to considering a category of over-the-counter hearing aids that could deliver new, innovative and lower-cost products to millions of consumers.

In addition, the agency issued a guidance document explaining that it does not intend to enforce the requirement that individuals 18 and up receive a medical evaluation or sign a waiver prior to purchasing most hearing aids.
Study: Sleep aid melatonin may help lower blood pressure

ORLANDO, Fla. -- The populat natural sleep-aid ingredient melatonin may be associated with lowering blood pressure, according to a new study recently presented at the American Heart Association hypertension sessions.

A study to determine the blood pressure lowering effect of melatonin in both younger and older normotensive and pre-hypertensive individuals was conducted at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, Penn., and presented as a poster presentation here.
KIND Foundation splits $1.1 million among 6 'Kind' activists

NEW YORK -- The KIND Foundation – a 501c3 started by KIND Healthy Snacks – on Tuesday announced the winners of its philanthropic program, KIND People, and launched a storytelling series aiming to reveal the transformative power of kindness. Through the program, the Foundation is awarding $1.1 million to seven people who are championing inclusivity and serving as beacons of empathy in communities nationwide.
View from the Summit

As we ship this issue to the printer, it has been less than 24 hours since Drug Store News hosted its 18th annual Industry Issues Summit. What began almost two decades ago as a closed-door discussion between a handful of retail merchandising executives and a few vendors in a small hotel meeting room has since evolved to become one of the signature thought leadership and networking events on the industry calendar.
Growth categories will pay dividends

In 2017, there will be three growth categories within the OTC sector that will continue to post dividends to retail pharmacy’s bottom line across the self-care aisle. We’re calling them the old, the now and the future.

(Click here to view the full Category Review.)
Poll: What would Americans do rather than be sick over the holidays?

NEW YORK -- Nearly three-quarters of Americans (73%) do not believe coughing is an indicator of sickness. In fact, there are more Americans who are inclined to believe that ghosts (47%) and aliens (43%) are real than there are Americans who acknowledge that a cough is a harbinger of a cold or flu, according to a recent Harris Poll commissioned by Pfizer's Robitussin brand.