HEALTH

MORRISTOWN, N.J. — To encourage consumers to rethink aspirin for pain relief — according to a recent Bayer survey, only 8% of respondents reported taking aspirin more often that other OTC pain relievers — Bayer on Tuesday issued the Fast Relief Challenge and is giving away 100,000 bottles of Bayer Advanced Aspirin so consumers can put the pain reliever to the test.

BONITA SPRINGS, Fla. — Two weeks before the Food and Drug Administration met on expanding the switch paradigm, attendees of the Consumer Healthcare Products Association’s Annual Executive Conference discussed how over-the-counter medicines can help shape health care as part of a panel featuring Joe Magnacca, Walgreens president of daily living products and solutions.

Electronic cigarettes, sometimes called personal vaporizers, are making their way into the drug channel. As tobacco smoking in public is steadily becoming a thing of the past, smokers are looking for alternatives, and more retail channels are carrying the products.

Rite Aid has begun to carry several models of electronic cigarettes, replacement batteries and replacement cartridges, and is merchandising the products at the checkout near tobacco products.

CHICAGO — Pampers Cruisers/Swaddlers with Dry Max, Gillette Fusion ProGlide and P.F. Chang's Home Menu were the top three new product introductions in 2011, according to the SymphonyIRI Group "2011 New Product Pacesetter" report released Tuesday afternoon. Respectively, Pampers generated $296 million in first-year sales, Gillette Fusion ProGlide generated $169.4 million and P.F. Chang's Home Menu generated $101.6 million. The three were the only new brands to break the $100 million barrier in year-one sales through 2011.

INDIANAPOLIS — Lilly Diabetes and Walgreens on Monday launched an awareness campaign at 43 Walgreens pharmacies throughout the Indianapolis area on the consequences of hypoglycemia.

ATLANTA — Children under the age of 10 years old may be especially susceptible to a new strain of influenza, according to an article published Friday in the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's "Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report."

ST. LOUIS — Fresh off the heels of its merger with Medco Health Solutions, pharmacy benefit manager Express Scripts announced Monday the launch of a medication nonadherence detection system and offered a preview of its annual "Drug Trend Report."