HEALTH

LAKE MARY, Fla. Specialty pharmacy provider Axium Healthcare Pharmacy has received recognition from the National Hemophilia Foundation for its treatment programs, Axium said.

The NHF said Axium “meets or exceeds” the standards of the organization’s Medical and Scientific Advisory Council, meaning that it has staff knowledgeable about and provides a full range of treatments, has 24-hour access to pharmacy staff and has good record-keeping, billing and product recall processes.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. Musician and reality TV star Bret Michaels recently shared his struggles with Type 1 diabetes and related health issues with the American Diabetes Association's consumer magazine, Diabetes Forecast.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. In another bid to boost the standing of pharmacists in a changing healthcare system, the National Association of Chain Drug Stores urged a leading healthcare think-tank and advocacy group to adopt health quality standards that include a broader role for retail pharmacy professionals.

NEW YORK The pharmaceutical lobby spent more than $5 million lobbying the government during the third quarter, according to published reports.

Based on a filing with the government, BusinessWeek reported that the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America spent $5.2 million lobbying on issues ranging from healthcare legislation to drug importation and marketing.

This compared with $6.8 million in third quarter 2009, according to the magazine.

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. Johnson & Johnson is recalling millions of packages of over-the-counter drugs for allergies and pain due to manufacturing problems, according to published reports.

The New York Times reported Tuesday that J&J would recall 4 million packages of cherry- and grape-flavored Children’s Benadryl (diphenhydramine) tablets for allergies and 800,000 bottles of children’s Motrin (ibuprofen), a pain drug.

WOODCLIFF LAKE, N.J. Par Pharmaceutical has begun shipments of a generic treatment for asthma, the drug maker said Monday.

Par announced that it started shipping zafirlukast tablets in the 10-mg and 20-mg strengths. The drug is a generic version of AstraZeneca’s Accolate.

Accolate has sales of $50 million in the United States per year, according to IMS Health.

SKILLMAN, N.J. Aveeno, a Johnson & Johnson Consumer Products Co. brand, has developed new products and teamed up with the National Eczema Association to educate sufferers of the common condition in preparation for the cold and dry winter months when dry skin is most common.

Roughly 35 million people in the United States suffer from eczema, a chronic skin disorder resulting in intense itching and overall discomfort. Eczema also is among the top five skin conditions for babies zero to 36 months, with 10% to 20% of all infants experiencing some form of eczema.

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J. Vaseline Intensive Rescue, a Unilever brand, is on a mission to rescue dry skin this winter by sending out the Dry Skin Patrol team.

The team is comprised of real women who know what it's like to have dry skin and is charged with putting their skin and lotion to the test at some of the country's harshest winter activities for skin. Serving as the team's leader is Wendie Malick, an actress and star of TV Land's "Hot in Cleveland."