In this Issue

Helping seniors stay “active, mobile and independent” is the prime mission for GreatCall, a San-Diego-based provider of independent-living tools for elderly Americans and their caregivers.

Consumers are becoming more aware that keeping the mouth and teeth clean is a key component of a healthy lifestyle. Other factors driving sales of oral care products include the burgeoning older population in the United States needing more oral health care, and the demand for natural and cosmetic solutions to dental health issues.

everythingHEALTH’s Mary Alice Lawless (left) and UnitedHealthcare’s Shannon Huneke (right)

As health insurers continue to work closer with retailers to improve access to patient care, UnitedHealthcare is among a handful of companies at the forefront of this increasingly collaborative approach.

Is there a place for genetic testing in the retail pharmacy setting? Absolutely, said John Ward, VP international and retail marketing for 23andMe.

Despite the instant satisfaction of texts or social media messages, consumers are still demanding paper greeting cards, and they are craving more unique and luxurious cards than ever before.

As prescription volume increases, one of the hottest areas of pharmacy technology in recent years has been solutions for the will-call process, and RxMedic is looking to stay on the forefront of will-call solutions with its Automated Retrieval System, or ARS. The company also is working to provide dispensing and storage solutions that can adapt to reduce downtime for calibration and maintenance.

Johnson & Johnson’s president of health and wellness solutions Len Greer

The main focus for Johnson & Johnson’s health and wellness solutions president Len Greer is getting patients motivated to improve overall health outcomes. Aside from the company’s partnership with IBM Watson, Greer said Johnson & Johnson is undertaking efforts to apply behavioral science in such disease states as diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease to improve patient health.

Retailers and suppliers are in the midst of a strategy shift in the consumable aisles. As consumers increase their focus on the role that diet plays in health care, retailers and suppliers are retooling their strategies to emphasize fresh, local, organic, natural, healthy products — something that Kantar Retail calls the FLONH effect.

(To view the full Category Review, click here.)