HEALTH

CHICAGO — Johns Hopkins Medicine and Walgreens on Wednesday announced an agreement between the two companies that will promote collaboration on population-based research.

Also part of the agreement, Johns Hopkins and Walgreens will jointly review and develop protocols to improve outcomes of patients with chronic diseases and explore the development of new models for improving care for individuals.

OAKLAND, Calif. — Women that experience body mass index gains between their first and second pregnancies are at an increased risk of developing gestational diabetes in the second pregnancy, according to a Kaiser Permanente study.

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS Caremark outlined on Tuesday at a consumer health engagement conference the results of a personalized consumer communications program designed to encourage patients to take their medications as doctors direct.

Early results of the program showed increases in consumers signing up for automatic prescription refills and more readily substituting branded medications for generic medicines to lower costs.

HAWTHORNE, N.Y. — The Food and Drug Administration has approved a generic over-the-counter treatment for allergies made by Taro Pharmaceutical Industries.

Taro announced Monday the approval of cetirizine hydrochloride oral solution.

The drug, a generic version of Johnson & Johnson’s children’s Zyrtec, is used to relieve symptoms of indoor and outdoor allergies and is available in a sugar-free bubblegum flavor.

WHIPPANY, N.J. — Alterna, a marketer of personal care products and therapeutic over-the-counter medicines, has signed a new trademark and know-how license agreement with Spirig Pharma AG of Egerkingen, Switzerland, which expands Alterna's exclusive rights to distribute Kerasal one-step exfoliating moisturizing foot ointment to 80 countries outside of North America.

Alterna already owns the Kerasal brand in North America, having fully acquired all rights to trademarks and product technology in 2006.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The American Diabetes Association announced that it will fund research that will examine the effectiveness of technology-based diabetes management devices.

The studies, funded by the American Diabetes Association/Medtronic Technology in Diabetes Fellowship, will utilize Medtronic's CareLink database — a database of anonymous continuous glucose monitoring and insulin pump-derived data — to assess, evaluate and correlate the application of this and similar technologies used by patients with insulin-treated diabetes.

MADISON, N.J. — Ragweed and mold are driving increased allergies across America, Quest Diagnostics reported Monday.

In the study, sensitization rates to common ragweed and mold increased the most of the 11 common allergens evaluated over a four-year period. Sensitization to common ragweed grew 15% nationally, while mold grew 12%. By comparison, sensitization to the 11 allergens combined increased 5.8%.

WASHINGTON — Reps. Aaron Schock, R-Ill., and Peter Welch, D-Vt., on Monday introduced legislation that would exempt community pharmacies with less than 10 locations from having to participate in Medicare competitive acquisition programs and pricing when it comes to the sale of blood-glucose meters and supplies.