Retail Clinics

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Community pharmacists still are among the nation’s most trusted professionals.

ATLANTA — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has set aside the week of Dec. 5 to observe this season's National Influenza Vaccination Week. The week-long emphasis on flu vaccination was established to highlight the importance of continuing influenza vaccination, as well as foster greater use of flu vaccine after the holiday season into January and beyond.

ATLANTA — In preparation for the National Influenza Vaccination Week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention hosted a press conference Friday afternoon to raise awareness around the universal need for people to be protected against influenza. “It’s a week that we typically highlight the importance of the flu vaccine,” Howard Koh, assistant secretary for health at the Department of Health and Human Services, told reporters. During a typical season, he said, most influenza incidents begin picking up in December.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — A new study released Thursday determined that directed use of Lansinoh HPA Lanolin results in a marked reduction of nipple pain associated with breast-feeding and in significantly higher healing rates of nipple trauma compared with application of expressed breast milk. The researchers concluded that “the current recommendation for any topical treatment of sore nipples during breast-feeding should be revised in favor of HPA lanolin.”

MORRISTOWN, N.J. — Drug maker Watson Pharmaceuticals has made an emergency oral contraceptive available by prescription in the United States, the company said Wednesday.

Watson announced the launch of Ella (ulipristal acetate) in the 30-mg dose, designed to prevent pregnancy up to five days after unprotected sex or failure of other contraceptives. The drug is designed to delay ovulation for five days, the amount of time that sperm can survive in the female genital tract.

ALLEGAN, Mich. — The Food and Drug Administration has granted market exclusivity for a generic version of a medication designed to treat indoor and outdoor allergies.

Perrigo said Monday that its licensor and supplier Synthon received regulatory approval for levocetirizine tablets, a generic version of UCB/Sepracor's Xyzal, which is marketed in the United States by Sanofi-Aventis.

The levocetirizine tablet is the only approved generic product having a label containing all indications, Perrigo said.

MADISON, N.J. — On the same day that the Institute of Medicine increased the daily recommended intake of vitamin D to maintain bone health, Pfizer Consumer Healthcare Tuesday announced the launch of Caltrate Soft Chews, which incorporate the higher daily recommended vitamin D goals.

WASHINGTON — The Institute of Medicine on Tuesday issued a report on the dietary reference intake levels for vitamin D and calcium at the behest of both the U.S. and Canadian governments. IOM recommended a slight increase in vitamin D intake, but also suggested that the need for either vitamin D or calcium may be overstated.