Special Reports Archive

everythingHEALTH’s Mary Alice Lawless (left) and UnitedHealthcare’s Shannon Huneke (right)

As health insurers continue to work closer with retailers to improve access to patient care, UnitedHealthcare is among a handful of companies at the forefront of this increasingly collaborative approach.

As prescription volume increases, one of the hottest areas of pharmacy technology in recent years has been solutions for the will-call process, and RxMedic is looking to stay on the forefront of will-call solutions with its Automated Retrieval System, or ARS. The company also is working to provide dispensing and storage solutions that can adapt to reduce downtime for calibration and maintenance.

Between its recently announced partnership with IMA North America and its Pharmacy Operations Symposium, held in April in concert with Binghamton University’s Watson Institute for Systems Excellence (WISE) — Innovation has had a busy year. And according to EVP global business development Doyle Jensen, there are numerous new projects that are ongoing at Innovation, as the company is expanding its solutions to help increase pharmacy efficiency, accuracy and inventory management.

Consumers with diabetes spend 35% more on OTC products than the average consumer, noted Jeff Gregori, group VP consumer and shopper analytics for Nielsen, during a recent presentation at the National Association of Chain Drug Stores Total Store Expo. “That’s hands down more than any other ailment,” he said, and it’s because they face so many challenges beyond their initial diagnosis.

Johnson & Johnson’s president of health and wellness solutions Len Greer

The main focus for Johnson & Johnson’s health and wellness solutions president Len Greer is getting patients motivated to improve overall health outcomes. Aside from the company’s partnership with IBM Watson, Greer said Johnson & Johnson is undertaking efforts to apply behavioral science in such disease states as diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease to improve patient health.

Quest Products is looking to break onto the external analgesic scene with CopperFixx, a balm that combines the analgesic properties associated with copper and arnica. “Copper has always been known to help relieve the aches and pains of certain afflictions,” said Don Ryan, president and CEO of Quest Products. “Until now, no one had figured out how to produce it in a consumer-friendly form.”

Kimberly-Clark’s Liz Metz (center)

The first step to making an impact in a customer’s life, according to Kimberly-Clark’s senior director of shopper engagement Liz Metz, is understanding what they want from their shopping experience.