In this Issue

In an effort to bring down the price of prescription drugs, the Food and Drug Administration’s new commissioner, Dr. Scott Gottlieb, has made increasing competition among generics manufacturers one of his top priorities. Gottlieb unveiled the Drug Competition action plan in late June. Ahead of a July 18 public meeting, the agency released a list of branded drugs that currently have no listed patents or exclusivities, and also have no generics.

In fall 2016, Mars brought together its chocolate and Wrigley segments under Mars Wrigley Confectionery in an effort to better deliver innovative products that address consumer desires and insights. Since then, the division has been busy. In 2017 alone, Mars Wrigley Confectionery has brought beloved U.K. brand Maltesers to the United States, introduced the now-permanent M&M’s Caramel variety — as well as several new varieties and flavors of its biggest brands — and redesigned several of its brands’ packaging.

Humble roots in the family business fed a calling to ‘create moments that matter.’ A lifetime of martial arts training gave him the confidence and discipline to make it happen. Drug Store News Mckesson SVP marketing, strategy and business development Chris Dimos about his mentors, his background in his family’s business and how his passions have shaped his approach to doing business. 

Consumers are gravitating toward more natural eye and ear care products that have fewer chemical additives, industry observers said.

The shift comes amid increasing demand for eye care products overall, as the baby boomer population ages and younger consumers seek options for treating various eye irritations resulting from allergies, prolonged exposure to computer screens and other factors.

There is a potential white space opportunity for retail clinics in advancing point-of-care diagnostic offerings on site. In 2015, combined sales of POC tests, clinical chemistry and immunoassay laboratory tests and vaccines to retail clinics reached $240 million, with vaccines accounting for a greater share than POC tests or laboratory tests. This reflects total annual growth of more than 26% per year since 2010, when retail clinics accounted for about $75 million in purchases of these products.

The retail clinic space represents a fast-growing industry that hasn’t even scratched the surface in terms of its full potential given constant market pressures to make health care more affordable, more accessible and more efficient. In 2016, more than 2,200 locations in the United States generated sales of more than $1.4 billion, a 20.3% increase per year from $518 million in 2010, according to Kalorama Information’s “Retail Clinics 2017: The Game-Changer in Healthcare” report, published earlier this year.

Having a baby changes everything — including shopping behavior, according to new insights from pregnancy and parenting resource BabyCenter, a Johnson & Johnson company. The company’s “2017 Skincare and Bathtime Study,” shared exclusively with Drug Store News, points to lasting changes that new parents undergo in terms of what they look for from their personal care products once they have children, as well as the top factors influencing their buying decisions.