HEALTH

WASHINGTON — The Consumer Healthcare Products Association has selected John Punzi and Jay Sirois to serve as directors of the organization's regulatory and scientific affairs department.

PRINCETON, N.J. — Danish drug maker Novo Nordisk is partnering with cooking show host Paula Deen to launch a campaign to help adults find ways to manage challenges associated with Type 2 diabetes, the company said Tuesday.

Deen and her sons, Bobby and Jamie, star in a series of videos as part of the Diabetes in a New Light initiative, in which Deen is sharing her personal diabetes story for the first time.

SOLON, Ohio — An analysis conducted by ECRM of retailers’ ad circulars during 2011 showed some familiar names dominated the list of top promoted brands and revealed some interesting movements among others.

The ECRM report showed use of circular print ads grew by 5.5% in 2011 despite increased activity overall in the areas of online, mobile and social.

SILVER SPRING, Md. — The Food and Drug Administration's latest message to consumers and healthcare professionals seems like a no-brainer: "Insulin pens are not for sharing."

But the agency said it knew of two undisclosed hospitals that it said had reused the cartridge components of insulin pens in administering insulin to more than 2,000 patients, though the hospitals reportedly changed the pens themselves.

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT — That one of the latest attempts to require prescriptions for cough-cold remedies containing pseudoephedrine appears headed for failure isn't just good news for the retailers that sell those products and the people who need them, it also may encourage those trying to curb the manufacture and use of methamphetamine to focus their efforts on methods that already work, such as the National Precursor Log Exchange, also known as NPLEx, a real-time, industry-funded electronic system that tracks sales of PSE products and is

BOULDER, Colo. — As part of the company's "Renew You" events this year, Pharmaca Integrative Pharmacy on Wednesday launched its first annual 30-day weight management challenge. The challenge features 10 participants, who will receive private consultations with Pharmaca practitioners around nutrition and exercise advice, and a one-month supply of one-of-three healthy weight management supplements — Natural Factors’ PGX, Genuine Health’s Lean+ Extra Strength or Natural Factors’ conjugated linoleic acid.

SAN FRANCISCO — Dietary supplement brand Nature Made has tapped a new advertising agency to lead all brand positioning and integrated marketing for the company.

Nature Made said Amazon Advertising would serve as the company's new agency of record. Amazon Advertising, Nature Made said, will be responsible for creating national advertising campaigns that incorporate both traditional and digital media. The agency's clients include such brands as Kashi, Bear Naked, P&G's Naturella brand and Yogi Tea.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The California State Senate Health Committee on Wednesday tabled a bill that would require a prescription for the purchase of a pseudoephedrine product, exempting children's liquid formulations.

The bill initially failed to pass the committee by a vote of 2-2 with five no-votes. Subsequently, the committee placed the bill up for reconsideration by a vote of 7-0 with two no-votes. No subsequent hearing date has been posted the Senate's website.