Retail Clinics

SILVER SPRING, Md. — The Food and Drug Administration is cracking down on companies that it accuses of selling fake products for sexually transmitted diseases, the agency said.

The FDA said at least 15 products — some sold as dietary supplements — that claim to treat, prevent or cure such STDs as herpes, Chlamydia, genital warts and HIV/AIDS, were being sold online and at some retail stores. Brands include MedaVir, which claims to treat herpes; Gene-Eden, which claims to treat a range of STDs, as well as flu and mononucleosis; and several others.

MORRIS PLAINS, N.J. — Visine is looking to help consumers that experience eye irritation and redness during the summer months.

Designed for use by those ages 6 years and older, new Visine Summer Spectrum Relief is designed to treat symptoms and protect eyes from further irritation by helping to supplement the natural tear film.

Visine Summer Spectrum Relief exclusively is available at CVS/pharmacy in the sun care aisle for $3.99 for a 0.5-fl.-oz. bottle.

NEW YORK — "A new way to do energy" has hit the market.

Sheets — a brand co-developed by basketball star LeBron James, along with PureBrands CEO Warren Struhl and co-founders Jesse Itzler and Maverick Carter — are individually wrapped, paper-thin dissolving strips that tout the same amount of caffeine as a cup of premium coffee in one small strip, which is about 100 mg, without containing any sugar or calories, the company said.

ALLEGAN, Mich. — The Food and Drug Administration has approved a generic version of Rogaine made by Perrigo, the drug maker said.

Perrigo announced the FDA approval of over-the-counter minoxidil foam, a generic version of men’s Rogaine foam.

Stiefel Research Australia, part of GlaxoSmithKline, sued Perrigo for patent infringement when the latter submitted its regulatory approval application. Under a settlement between the companies reached in February, Perrigo can launch its generic version of men’s Rogaine foam in March 2012.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens is expanding its scope of preventive healthcare services by offering daily testing for total cholesterol, blood glucose and A1C levels at more than 1,400 pharmacies across 33 states and Washington, D.C.

NEW YORK — Retail-based health clinics continue to grow and likely will become a durable part of the healthcare system, according to a report by independent healthcare market research firm Kalorama Information.

The firm estimated retail clinic sales at $733.4 million, an increase of 81% per year since 2005, in its latest report, "Retail Clinics 2011: Market Assessment, Supplier Sales, Key Players and Trends."

NEW YORK — Many U.S. voters are in favor of expanding the use of nurse practitioners for routine medical care, and most believe that the quality of health care would improve if routine care was handled by nurse practitioners and doctors were able to focus more on challenging healthcare issues, according to the findings of a recent survey.

According to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of 1,000 adults, 67% of likely U.S. voters favored training and licensing nurse practitioners to expand the level of routine care they provide.


In response to the news last month that Rite Aid named Tony Montini EVP merchandising, DSN shared this exchange with an online reader:


Dear DSN;


I am a Rite Aid pharmacist in the small desert town of Needles, Calif. Needles is a poor town with a lot of our business being Medi-Cal — state Medicaid. ... This is the rub: There are no Medi-Cal providers in the city! Most people have to go to the emergency room, or those with Medicare D plans [travel] 20 miles across the Colorado River to Arizona. ...