HEALTH

ALEXANDRIA, Va. The National Community Pharmacists Association is urging the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to follow guidance that Congress included in the healthcare-reform law in its implementation of a new Medicaid generic drug reimbursement formula based on average manufacturer price, the organization said Tuesday.

CMS recently withdrew provisions that would have dramatically cut Medicaid pharmacy reimbursement to community pharmacies from a previously proposed AMP rule due to an injunction that the NCPA obtained in 2007.

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. Enzymedica on Tuesday launched a campaign to drive awareness around enzymatic therapy as a way to improve overall digestive performance through the company’s 14-day “Take the Digest Challenge!”

For consumers taking the challenge, Enzymedica recommended its Digest Basic formula along with every meal or large snack for 14 days. Within the first two weeks, consumers should realize reduced digestive distress, increased energy and improved regularity, the company stated.

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. Nestle Performance Nutrition on Tuesday announced its entry into the sport dietary supplement category with the launch of a line of dietary supplements under the brand PowerBar Elite Series High Intensity. Formulated with sustained-release beta alanine for endurance, the line will carry the NSF Certified for Sport certification for sports nutrition products.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. Condom use is higher among black and Hispanic Americans than among white Americans and those from other racial groups, according to findings from the largest nationally representative study of sexual and sexual health behaviors ever fielded, conducted by Indiana University sexual health researchers and published last week in a special issue of the Journal of Sexual Medicine.

EUGENE, Ore. Quantum Health’s OraMoist, a time-released mucoadhesive patch that moistens and lubricates the mouth, was featured in the October 2010 issue of The Journal of the American Dental Association as part of a study that affirmed safety and efficacy of the over-the-counter product in relieving dry mouth.

SECAUCUS, N.J. Hartz is looking to keep tails wagging with a new addition to its Crunch ‘n Clean line of dog biscuits.