In this Issue

As many as 26% of consumers increased their usage of over-the-counter products in the past year, according to an online survey of more than 900 AccentHealth viewers conducted in September. Anticipated increases in OTC use for the upcoming year are driven by those who have already reported a rise in usage in the past year.


To see more Patient Views, click here.

The lower cost of OTCs was cited as the primary reason viewers have increased and plan to increase their OTC usage. 


Made in America. To suggest that this marketing message doesn’t resonate with today’s American consumer may come off as sacrilege, especially considering how job creation was a central issue in this month’s presidential election.

But there are two questions marketers of “Made in America” have to ask. First, does this marketing message have staying power?  And second, where does it rank in a consumer’s purchasing decision tree?

DSN profiled six companies that sell on their American-made heritage as part of its "Made in America" report.

GREEN TOYS
MILL VALLEY, Calif. — Green Toys makes a line of classic children’s toys constructed from recycled, food-safe plastic and other environmentally friendly materials. The products not only help fuel the “Made in America” movement, the use of recycled materials helps distinguish the toy manufacturer by reducing fossil fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions.

The year 2012 is coming to an end, and it’s been a big year for 
generic drugs.


It’s been several weeks now since Hurricane Sandy, virtually erased neighborhoods throughout Brooklyn, Queens, Long Island and New Jersey. For those of us who live and grew up here, the stories of loss and devastation are all around us. 


As many as 100 Rockaway boys from Xavier High School — my alma mater — lost their homes and everything in them. 


It’s times like these when you really understand what it means to be a part of this great city and its indomitable spirit.


PENWORTHAM, England — Sometimes, in looking for new ideas in the retail industry, it helps to take a peek outside the borders of the United States. 


Improving medication adherence in specialty pharmacy could be equivalent to introducing a new blockbuster drug. That’s how Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy president and CEO Phil Hagerman put it at Drug Store News’ Specialty Pharmacy Roundtable two years ago. 


CVS/pharmacy certainly is the leader in terms of how to translate reams of shopper data into programs that drive profitable results. It’s been at it for almost 15 years, and its 70 million active cardholders makes for the largest loyalty program in retail pharmacy.

In a major nod to the program’s success, 67% of CVS transactions and 82% of all front-store sales are tied to ExtraCare, and card members buy 85% more items per trip versus nonmembers.