INSIGHTS AND PERSPECTIVES

NEW YORK — The Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index reached 70.4 in February, a three-year high from February 2008, thanks to growing optimism about the short-term future.

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Use of amphetamines could increase the risk of Parkinson’s disease, according to a new study.

NEW YORK — A new Harris Poll published Tuesday suggested that many doctors are doing little or nothing to help their overweight patients to lose weight.

Using classifications defined by the World Health Organization, 19% of those who are morbidly obese (with a body mass index of 35 or greater), 46% of those who are obese (BMI of between 30 and 34) and 72% who are overweight but not obese (BMI of between 25 and 29), said that their doctors have never told them to lose weight.

NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. — Nearly 39 million people are feeling the effects of cold and flu as illness levels continue to climb across the nation, Boiron reported Friday.

The latest figures reflect an increase of 6.4% from last week. Some of the most prevalent indications are fever (10.8%) and influenza-like symptoms, such as chills, body aches and headache (22.2%).

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT’S IMPORTANT — If an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, then that means 200 sq. ft. of retail pharmacy is the equivalent to acres of doctors' offices and medical clinics. If inhibitive cost, lack of awareness and prohibitive access represent the reasons behind why more people don’t get vaccinated, then pharmacy provides the all-in-one solution — because pharmacy can help eclipse each one of those vaccine barriers.

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT — The news that CVS Caremark's Pharmacy Advisor program has been recognized by the Pharmacy Benefit Management Institute is yet one more illustration of how the company has positioned itself along the front lines to leverage its various points of care to improve outcomes and lower healthcare costs.

(THE NEWS: CVS Caremark saluted for Pharmacy Advisor program. For the full story, click here)

ATHENS, Ga. — A drug used to treat high cholesterol, which will lose patent protection and face generic competition starting this year, also may help prevent blindness in people with diabetes, according to a study by researchers at the University of Georgia.

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT — As one retail pharmacy executive put it, "many members of Congress only experience the pharmacy industry through their eyes as a patient." Thanks to NACDS RxImpact Day on Capitol Hill, however, that no longer has to be the case.

(THE NEWS: NACDS RxImpact Day 2011 takes aim at new lawmakers. For the full story, click here)