HEALTH

PORTLAND, Ore. — Prescription-only pseudoephedrine regulation has no impact on the methamphetamine trade, according to a Cascade Policy Institute study on the 2005 Oregon law, which restricts access to medicines containing pseudoephedrine.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens on Tuesday partnered with Passport Health Plan, a local Medicaid health plan in Louisville, Ky.,  on a new smoking-cessation program that launched in early January. The program is free to Walgreens customers and Passport members and aims to improve the community’s health by giving smokers the tools, resources and ongoing clinical pharmacist counseling to help them achieve their cessation goals.

WASHINGTON — Sen. Charles Schumer on Tuesday announced that the Food and Drug Administration has agreed to conduct a full review of the safety and legality of the new caffeine inhaler AeroShot, distributed by Breathable Foods, which hit stores in New York and Boston this past month.

DALLAS — Kimberly-Clark's feminine care brand achieved $1 billion in global net sales last year, following two consecutive years of significant growth in the category.

LOS ANGELES — The syndicated health program "The Dr. Oz Show" last week featured Jarrow Formulas' Carnosine supplement, Jarrow announced.

CHESTERTOWN, Md. — LimbO Products on Tuesday announced the launch of its new website, Limboproducts.com. The site was developed to support the recent introduction of LimbO Waterproof Protectors in the United States.

Manufactured by Thesis Technology Products in the United Kingdom, LimbO Waterproof Protectors enable children and adults to safely take a shower or bath with a cast or a bandage.

Asthma has been becoming more relevant in the nonprescription aisles of late. Even as Armstrong Pharmaceuticals phases out what was an almost $100 million-and-growing brand in Primatene Mist 
— the Food and Drug Administration has removed any inhalers containing 
chlorofluorocarbons from the market — homeopathic supplier King Bio is currently presenting an alternative in its AsthmaCare product.


As of early February, incidence of cough-cold and influenza still was relatively low, but the season has yet to peak and that means there could be demand for symptomatic relief through March.


“Fever is just starting to move,” noted Scott Hanslip, director of sales for IMS Consumer Health, in the first week of February. However, overall incidence of upper respiratory illness was down 7.5% from September through Jan. 21, 
according to IMS Health tracking.