In this Issue

The use of homeopathic medicines as part of a self-care solution to treat such ailments as the common cold or back pain is becoming more and more commonplace through conventional channels. While a Harvard survey on the use of homeopathy published earlier this year in the American Journal of Public Health revealed that only 2.1% of U.S. adults have used homeopathy in the past 12 months, conventional outlets including Walmart, CVS Health and Rite Aid command 86.5% of the homeopathic dollar share, according to SPINSscan (powered by IRI).

Christina Speck, senior director of consumer initiatives at Aetna

Successfully offering consumer-centric health care requires a multi-pronged approach that meets the needs of a wide variety of customer groups, Aetna senior director of consumer initiatives Christina Speck stressed at the recent Retail Health Summit.

The explosive growth in the at-risk elderly population has spawned a corresponding explosion in the number of baby boomers who find themselves caring for aging parents. In response, start-up companies have sprung up offering new services and solutions to help these caregivers help their parents remain independent, mobile and in their own homes as long as possible.

WARREN, N.J. — GSK Consumer Healthcare has expanded its flagship Sensodyne line with a fresh-mint-flavored Sensodyne True White toothpaste that helps relieve tooth sensitivity, while providing a whiter smile. The product offers a combination of sensitivity relief, sensitivity protection, cavity protection, stain prevention and stain removal.

By now, the retail pharmacy industry knows that its place within the American healthcare landscape is changing. PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Health Research Institute has dubbed it the New Health Economy, and in May the firm highlighted the factors that are playing a key role in pharmacy’s transformation.

Health care, said Katya Hancock, “is very different than other industries.” Given the fragmented, piecemeal way the health system has evolved and the urgent challenges posed by skyrocketing costs, inconsistent care standards and wide gaps in the gathering and sharing of vital patient data, it’s no wonder that the health industry is ripe for innovation and new solutions, she told participants at the Retail Health Summit.

Hallmark is bringing music from some of the most popular country artists into the greeting card aisle with CMA Sounds Cards, thanks to Hallmark’s new licensing partnership with the Country Music Association. The new collection includes 12 song cards, each featuring a sound clip from CMA artists, including Carrie Underwood, Brad Paisley, Miranda Lambert and Luke Bryan. Priced at $4.99, each card features a 15-second sound clip from some of the artists’ top songs, including No.

VoicePort arrived in Boston for the National Association of Chain Drug Stores’ Total Store Expo this year with a new name for its suite of pharmacy technology offerings. The company rebranded its PharmaPhonetics property as CLARO Pharmacy Solutions — a name change aimed at highlighting the growth the company’s offerings have seen since starting out in 2003, according to VoicePort VP North American business development Alphonse J. Sasso.