Drug Store News articles from May 2002

Drug Store News archives from May 2002

Exec changes at Discount Drug. (News).(Discount Drug Mart)(Brief Article)
May 20, 2002... MEDINA, Ohio -- Discount Drug Mart has announced several promotions and title changes in an effort to better define each person's contribution to the organization. The new structure is meant to communicate "how we're positioned for the future...

BJ's hits Atlanta. (News).
May 20, 2002... NATICK, Mass. -- BJ's Wholesale Club, as expected, made its debut in the Atlanta market earlier this month with the opening of three of the five clubs it plans for the market. All three of the new warehouse clubs have pharmacies, a relatively...

Cooperative effort needed to face challenges, shape industry's future. (News).(for chain drug stores)(Industry Overview)
May 20, 2002... PALM BEACH, Fla. -- In an uncertain era fraught with economic, competitive and legal challenges, chain pharmacy's future will depend on its ability to ally itself with suppliers, public policy makers, other health professionals and the needs of...

Snyder's aligns with creditors in Phar-Mor bid. (News).(Snyder's Drug Stores hopes to buy stores and warehouse from bankrupt Phar-Mor)(Brief Article)
May 20, 2002... MINNETONKA, Minn. -- Setting up what could be a struggle for control of the assets of bankrupt but still-prized Phar-Mor, Snyder's Drug Stores/Drug Emporium is pushing ahead with plans to acquire more than 30 of the off-price chain's stores and...

CVS plan drives sales gains, but puts pressure on margins. (News).(Brief Article)(Company Profile)
May 20, 2002... WOONSOCKET, R.I. -- The improvements the chain set in place late last year to restore the long-term growth of the company are beginning to take hold, CVS chairman, president and chief executive officer Tom Ryan explained to analysts in a May 9...

Rite Aid top executives eye profit for fourth quarter. (News).(Brief Article)(Company Profile)
May 20, 2002... CAMP HILL, Pa. -- Although still slightly listing, the Rite Aid ship may finally be righted by the end of its fiscal 2003 year, according to chairman and chief executive officer Bob Miller. "Based on our present trends, we could show...

NACDS and FDA launch nationwide diabetes program. (News).(National Association of Chain Drug Stores, the Food and Drug Administration and American Diabetes Association launch program to educate public about diabetes)(Brief Article)
May 20, 2002... WASHINGTON -- Health and Human Services secretary Tommy Thompson had his blood sugar tested. Ann Daly, president of health care and education at the American Diabetes Association, brought salsa and tortilla chips. And Magaly Rodriguez de...

Walgreens returns to Empire State Building. (News).(Brief Article)
May 20, 2002... NEW YORK -- Returning to the EMPIRE STATE BUILDING alter a 32-year absence, Walgreens opened a two-level store in the landmark building earlier this month. The 16,644-square-foot store, Walgreens' second unit in Manhattan since announcing its...

Clarifications.(Schnuck Markets ranks 15th among supermarkets in terms of pharamcy sales)(Correction Notice)
May 20, 2002... * An April 29 story should have stated that Walgreens, which wrote the first e-prescription software in 1992, was the first chain to enable all of its pharmacies to send and receive prescription data electronically. Giant Foods of Landover,...

Brooks firms up its Boston position and hints at future expansion. (News).(Brooks Pharmacy adds stores in Boston area)(Brief Article)
May 20, 2002... WARWICK, R.I. -- They say good things are worth the wait, and so it is for Michel Coutu, president and chief executive officer of Brooks Pharmacy. Coutu, whose Brooks' chain recently converted 80 former Osco drug stores to the Brooks'...

Q & A: Mark Griffin, Lewis Drug.(Brief Article)(Interview)
May 20, 2002... With four months as chairman of the National Association of Chain Drug Stores already under his belt, Mark Griffin has a head start on helping the association set a course for what promises to be an exciting 2002-2003 industry year. Griffin,...

Industry execs tout appointments, planning as key to succeeding at Marketplace. (News).(National Association of Chain Drug Stores conference)(Brief Article)
May 20, 2002... ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- As the countdown to the annual Marketplace conference hits the homestretch, the industry's leading retailers and suppliers are feverishly working to schedule meetings, complete category reviews and digest data. The...

New initiatives at Shoppers Drug Mart improve top line, in-store execution. (News).(Brief Article)(Company Profile)
May 20, 2002... TORONTO -- Shoppers Drug Mart, Canada's largest drug store network, swung to a profit of $26.8 million ($42.0 million Canadian) in the first quarter from a loss of $6.4 million (C$10.2 million) in the year-ago period. The financial report...

Winn-Dixie exiting Texas and Oklahoma. (Supermarket Aisle).(Brief Article)
May 20, 2002... JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- In a move that will decrease future sales by approximately $630 million a year, Winn-Dixie intends to close or sell all 71 of its stores in Texas as well as its five stores in Oklahoma, and a distribution center and dairy...

Wakefern raises bid for Big V chain. (Supermarket Aisle).(Wakefern Food raises bid for bankrupt Big V Supermarkets)(Brief Article)
May 20, 2002... ELIZABETH, N.J. -- Wakefern Food has raised its bid for bankrupt Big V Supermarkets to "not less than $185 million," according to a statement from the wholesaler, which licenses the ShopRite banner. The proposed price--which is $35 million...

Mott joins Nash Finch. (Supermarket Aisle).(Michael Mott)(Brief Article)
May 20, 2002... MINNEAPOLIS - NASH FINCH has named former Albertson's/American Stores executive Michael Mott to head up its new retail group, which includes traditional corporate retail stores and the company's new Avanza and Buy n Save formats. Mott, a...

Con Cruickshank dead at 71. (News).(Pharmasave Drugs Ltd.)(Brief Article)(Obituary)
May 20, 2002... LANGLEY, B.C. -- Con Cruickshank, one of Canada's most influential drug store leaders and a founder of Canada's Pharmasave Drugs, died last month after suffering an apparent heart attack. Cruickshank, who served as that company's first chief...

Sternheim succumbs to cancer. (News).(Howard Sternheim)(Brief Article)(Obituary)
May 20, 2002... NEW YORK -- Howard Sternheim, president of Thriftway Drugs and a board member of the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, died April 22 after a long fight with cancer. He was 70. Sternheim opened his first store in 1958 and with his...

Duane Reade beats estimates. (News).(first-quarter earnings)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 20, 2002... NEW YORK -- Duane Reade reported that first quarter earnings, excluding a one-time charge, beat analysts' expectations, while front-end same-store sales fell 1.3 percent. "I think the quarter unfolded very much like our guidance has indicated,"...

Advances in cardio, diabetes highlight of CIBC conference. (Pharmacy News).(Brief Article)
May 20, 2002... NEW YORK - Partial fatty acid oxidation inhibitors, or pFOX therapies, may be the next big treatment for coronary artery disease, while in a ers may replace several oral and intravenous drugs, according to presentations at the CIBC World...

HBA awards top honor to AstraZeneca's Harrison. (Pharmacy News).(Healthcare Businesswomen's Association Woman of the Year Sarah Harrison)(Brief Article)
May 20, 2002... NEW YORK - Balance and sacrifice are key to Sarah Harrison's success, and she quickly used her post as the Healthcare Businesswomen's Association's 2002 Woman of the Year to urge others to embrace them. "I'm often asked how I balance my...

Harvard researchers urge tougher new drug reviews. (Pharmacy Watch).(Food and Drug Administration standards)(Brief Article)
May 20, 2002... Researchers at Harvard Medical School are urging the Food and Drug Administration to adopt more stringent standards in approving new drugs "when safe, effective therapies already exist," according to WebMD. The online medical source said a...

HBA honors Rothwell. (Pharmacy Watch).(Healthcare Businesswomen's Association honors Timothy Rothwell)(Brief Article)
May 20, 2002... Pharmacia's executive vice president and president of global prescription business Timothy Rothwell was named 2002 Honorable Mentor by the Healthcare Businesswomen's Association in recognition of his efforts to promote women in the industry....

Cialis postponed until 2003. (Pharmacy Watch).(Eli Lilly and Co.)(Brief Article)
May 20, 2002... Although Eli Lilly received an approvable letter from the Food and Drug Administration for impotence drug Cialis (tadalafil), it will still be talking with the agency about additional clinical data. The drug's new potential launch date is...

Crestor U.S. debut delayed. (Pharmacy Watch).(AstraZeneca PLC)(Brief Article)
May 20, 2002... AstraZeneca's next potential blockbuster, Crestor (rosuvastatin), a possible challenger to Pfizer's cholesterol drug Lipitor (atorvastatin calcium), will make its U.S. debut about three months later than AZ first hoped. At the Food and...

Republicans, Democrats unveil competing Rx plans. (News).(prescription drug plans)(Brief Article)
May 20, 2002... WASHINGTON -- Joining an election-year scramble to establish credibility with seniors' groups, House Republicans and Senate Democrats are weighing in with competing plans for extending prescription drug benefits to Medicare recipients. The...

Schnuck's to purchase 12 Seessel's stores in Memphis. (News).(Brief Article)
May 20, 2002... ST. LOUIS -- Schnuck Markets, this city's hometown combo store retailer, has agreed to buy 12 Seessel's stores in the Memphis metropolitan area from Albertson's. No purchase price was given. Albertson's agreed to sell 10 stores in Shelby...

Ukrop's chasing federal funds for diabetic care. (News).(Ukrop's Super Markets Inc.)(Brief Article)
May 20, 2002... RICHMOND, Va. -- Ukrop's Super Markets has obtained American Diabetes Association certification for its diabetic-care initiative and has applied to the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for permission to begin providing fee-based...

NACDS names officers, executive committee members. (News).(National Association of Chain Drug Stores )(Brief Article)
May 20, 2002... PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Marking a precedent-setting line of succession, retail members of the National Association of Chain Drug Stores have elected Mary Sammons, president and chief operating officer of Rite Aid, as the association's new vice...

Retail rationalization is not such a bad thing. (Editorial).(Brief Article)(Editorial)
May 20, 2002... The old joke in retail is that there are never too many stores, just too few customers. With the economy down and unemployment up, however, that joke just doesn't get quite the same hearty response these days. Several retailers over the...

Front end helps industry through tough times. (Editorial).(drug store industry)(Brief Article)(Editorial)
May 20, 2002... Maybe I'm just cracking up from a couple of weeks of staring at Excel charts--hundreds of Excel charts. But I have to say that all the hours spent crunching the numbers that appear in this issue of Drug S tore News (see coverage beginning on...

Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America. (Industry News).(physician survey on prescription drug patent protection)(Brief Article)
May 20, 2002... A survey sponsored by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America found that U.S. doctors "overwhelmingly" believe strong patent protection for prescription drugs "is essential to the development of new drugs" and that doctors fear...

SureScript Systems. (Industry News).(to work with NDC Health)(Brief Article)
May 20, 2002... SureScript Systems has announced that health information provider NDCHealth will host its transaction engine. SureScript, which is the e-connectivity gateway established by the National Community Pharmacists Association and the National...

Barr Labs. (Generic News).(generic version of Fosamax)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
May 20, 2002... Barr Labs has received tentative Food and Drug Administration approval to make and market generic versions of Merck and Co.'s Fosamax (alendronate sodium) in 35 mg and 70 mg tablets. Barr reported that it believes the company is the first to...

Andrx received tentative FDA approval to market metformin hydrochloride extended-release tablets. (Generic News).(generic diabetes drug)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
May 20, 2002... Andrx received tentative FDA approval to market metformin hydrochloride extended-release tablets, the generic version of Bristol-Myers Squibb's type 2 diabetes drug Glucophage XR. First full-year sales of the drug in 2001 were $223 million....

Ivax. (Generic News).(antiasthmatic drug QVAR)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
May 20, 2002... Ivax will begin selling QVAR, a branded asthma product, in the United States under an exclusive agreement with 3M. Ivax markets and develop s a number of asthma drugs and devices. Worldwide sales of the company's respiratory product line were...

Forest Labs received FDA approval to market Benicar. (Branded News).(antihypertension drug)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
May 20, 2002... Forest Labs received FDA approval to market Benicar (olmesartan medoxomil), a new hypertension drug that is part of the growing angiostensin II receptor blocker, or ARB, class. Sankyo Pharma discovered and developed Benicar, and Forest will be...

AstraZeneca received FDA approval for Faslodex. (Branded News).(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
May 20, 2002... AstraZeneca received FDA approval for Faslodex (fulvestrant), a treatment for hormone receptor positive metastatic breast cancer in postmenopausal women whose cancer progresses despite treatment with anti-estrogen drugs, such as tamoxifen. The...

BCBS study: generic delays could cost consumers billions. (Chain Pharmacy).(Blue Cross Blue Shield Association)(Brief Article)
May 20, 2002... WASHINGTON -- Patent pile-ons, legal loopholes and dragged-out disputes used by pharmaceutical companies to monopolize drug sales could cost consumers billions of dollars in additional health care costs, according to a study sponsored by the...

FTC eyes patent-extension efforts, giving boost to generic drug firms. (Chain Pharmacy).(Federal Trade Commission)(Brief Article)
May 20, 2002... WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration is turning up the heat on branded drug makers in a new and potentially significant campaign to curb excessive patent-extension efforts and speed new generic drugs to market. Testifying April 23 before...

Pfizer promotes ShareCard at community events. (Chain Pharmacy).(prescription drug program)(Brief Article)
May 20, 2002... WASHINGTON -- Pfizer has begun signing up seniors for its ShareCard prescription drug program through community events that are sometimes hosted by community pharmacies. The ShareCard allows low-income Medicare recipients to buy a month's worth...

Pharmacies should prepare for terrorist threats. (Chain Pharmacy).
May 20, 2002... ORLANDO -- The tragic events of Sept. 11 brought home the critical importance of the health care community, including local pharmacy providers, to people affected by terrorist attacks or the threat of bioterrorism. The Food Marketing...

Emergency contraception sparks renewed debate. (Chain Pharmacy).(Brief Article)
May 20, 2002... PHILADELPHIA -- Emergency contraception pills, or ECPs, directly dispensed by pharmacists in California and Washington state, have moved some pharmacies into crucial, yet controversial, health care roles. "If you don't stock emergency...

Nature's Bounty. (Retailer News).(named supplier of the year for nutritional category at Wal-Mart)(Brief Article)
May 20, 2002... Wal-Mart named Nature's Bounty its 2001 supplier of the year for the nutritional category. "This award is confirmation... of our state-of-the-art manufacturing and consistent on-time delivery performance," noted NBTY chairman and chief...

Gum Tech International. (Supplier News).(secures patent for Zicam Cold Remedy)(Brief Article)
May 20, 2002... Gum Tech International secured a new patent for its Zicam Cold Remedy product, protecting the formula and delivery device until 2018.

Leiner Health. (Supplier News).(ends bankruptcy proceedings)(Brief Article)
May 20, 2002... Leiner Health announced April 22 that its bankruptcy proceedings have ended, following the finalization of a new bank credit facility April 19. Leiner's reorganization was confirmed April 15, meaning that Leiner exited Chapter 11 just 49 days...

The Quigley Corp. (Supplier News).(Cold-Eeze as means of prevention)(Brief Article)
May 20, 2002... The Quigley Corp. released reports that its over-the-counter zinc cold remedy Cold-Eeze also is an effective means of prevention when used as a supplement, statistically reducing the number of colds an individual suffers per year from a median...

Church & Dwight. (Supplier News).(23.1 percent rise in first quarter net income)(Brief Article)
May 20, 2002... Church & Dwight cited in a conference with securities analysts May 6 that its newly acquired Trojan and First Response OTC brands were key contributors to its 23.1 percent rise in net income during the first quarter. The company reported first...

ConsumerLab.com. (Industry News).(breast enhancement dietary supplements not effective)(Brief Article)
May 20, 2002... ConsumerLab.com knocked breast enhancement dietary supplements last month with a report that found no evidence that these supplements were effective. No products were tested, the company stated, because there were no clinical studies or...

American Podiatric Medical Association and Ortho-McNeil. (Industry News).(diabetic foot ulcers)(Brief Article)
May 20, 2002... A survey sponsored by the American Podiatric Medical Association and Ortho-McNeil revealed that 47 percent of the diabetic population knew little or nothing about diabetic foot ulcers, a treatable condition contributing to the 86,000 lower limb...

The Food and Drug Administration. (Industry News).(warns pharmacies about "nicotine lollipops" and/or nicotine "lip balm")(Brief Article)
May 20, 2002... The Food and Drug Administration last month issued warning letters to three pharmacies selling "nicotine lollipops" and/or nicotine "lip balm" over the Internet, charging the independent pharmacies with trafficking unapproved drug formulations....

Stress management could be OTC's next big-ticket seller. (OTC/Natural Health).(Brief Article)
May 20, 2002... Stress management could be the next big thing in natural health, natural pharmacy expert Jim LaValle, R.Ph., C.C.N., and chief clinical officer of Intramedicine, told attendees of the fourth annual Drug Store News/National Association of Chain...

Licensed bandage products. (What's Hot).(Brief Article)
May 20, 2002... Summertime means many more skinned knees and scraped elbows, and, as always, first aid products that appeal to kids stand a better chance among the category's biggest users. "It's about 15 percent of the adhesive bandage category," commented...

Rite Aid. (Retailer News).(Brief Article)
May 20, 2002... Rite Aid, as reported last month, began the launch of an exclusive tween bath and body line at its nearly 3,500 stores earlier this month. Spa Swami, which has been under development for more than a year, features four youth-oriented families...

Alberto-Culver. (Supplier News).(Brief Article)
May 20, 2002... Building on the success of its newly introduced flavored shampoos, Alberto-Culver will launch three new seasonal hair care products under the VO5 brand. Come November, sugar and spice and merry merry mistletoe shampoos, along with winter...

Remington Products Co. (Supplier News).(curling irons)(Brief Article)
May 20, 2002... Remington Products Co. is rolling out its SuperSmooth line of hair appliances for women. The five-SKU line of curling irons, steam straightener and steam comb, prominently features the Telfon "no stick" brand. Adding Telfon to the products...

Rave. (Supplier News).(new packaging)(Brief Article)
May 20, 2002... Rave has given its hair sprays and styling aids a makeover. Rave, the No. 1 selling hair spray in the United States, will be reintroduced with sleeker packaging and improved fragrance. The new silver and tea packaging features the symbols 2x,...

Revlon. (Supplier News).(new fall 2002 cosmetic colors)(Brief Article)
May 20, 2002... Revlon's fall palette Amber Ablaze takes its cues from the changing of the seasons. Golden amber, deep pumpkin, rusty browns and reddish spices make up the collections' rich colors for eyes, lips, cheeks and nail. New products include Revlon...

Revlon has named Debra Leipman-Yale executive vice president and global general merchandise manager for the Revlon brand. (Executive News).(Brief Article)
May 20, 2002... Revlon has named Debra Leipman-Yale executive vice president and global general merchandise manager for the Revlon brand. In her new role, Leipman-Yale will manage the Revlon brand, as well as oversee all aspects of marketing. She will report...

Beauty awards event recognizes innovations in mass, class brands. (Beauty Care).(Brief Article)
May 20, 2002... A bruised economy may be sending more mid-tier shoppers into drug stores, but striking innovations in mass-distributed products may help keep them there. Over 2001, a host of value brands succeeded in bringing class to mass. In a fitting...

Teens take acne care on the go. (What's Hot).(Chattem launches Clean Swab, acne medication)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 20, 2002... Busy teenagers fill their backpacks, gym bags and purses with portable toiletries to take them from class to sports practice and later out with friends. Chattem, maker of pHisoderm, has come up with an innovative way for them to take their acne...

Harris Teeter. (Retailer News).(introduces natural/health food line)(Brief Article)
May 20, 2002... Harris Teeter last month introduced a new private label line of natural and organic products to mark Earth Day. The Naturals line, which hit all 160 Harris Teeter stores by the end of April, includes 30 items, all of which meet federal...

Miller has introduced Northwest Blonde Lager under its Henry Weinhard label. (Supplier News).(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
May 20, 2002... Miller has introduced Northwest Blonde Lager under its Henry Weinhard label, a local microbrew popular in the Pacific Northwest. The new beer, brewed with hops native to the region, buys into a popular trend among local microbrewers-subtle...

Heineken. (Supplier News).(Brief Article)
May 20, 2002... Heineken is planning three holiday-based promotions for summer wrapped around the theme, "Pick Up the Party." All of the promotions are supported by special POP materials, including price cards and tear pads for limited-time, mail-in offers on...

ConAgra Foods' store brands. (Supplier News).(Brief Article)
May 20, 2002... ConAgra Foods' store brands division has teamed with DC Comics, a division of Warner Bros., on a new private label line of fruit snacks that ties into the popular Justice League cartoon superhero franchise-a big hit on cable's Cartoon Network....

Tumaro's Gourmet Tortillas. (Supplier News).(Brief Article)
May 20, 2002... Tumaro's Gourmet Tortillas new line of organic, non-GMO corn puffed snacks Krispy Crunchy Puffs have 50 percent less fat than potato chips, and position the company in the middle of the healthy snack category-a business that is up some 300...

General Mills. (Supplier News).(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
May 20, 2002... General Mills this month began introducing several new products, including a Banana Nut flavor Chex Morning Mix, Bisquick Complete Pouches and Sunkist fruit snacks. In all, the company plans to have introduced 100 new items by the end of the...

Are new malternative brews a good fit for drug stores? (Consumables).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 20, 2002... If you've been keeping up on news coming out of the alcoholic beverage category over the past year or so, the rise of alternative malt beverages is worth watching. Dubbed "malternatives," by PR types, these alcoholic concoctions are a far cry...

Nutrient-enhanced water. (What's Hot).(Brief Article)
May 20, 2002... When beverage players the size of Pepsi and Cadbury-Schweppes throw their hats in the ring, retailers can be assured that the nutrient-enhanced fad that began with bottled water brands, such as Vitamin Water and O2 Go, has some legs to it. ...

Target. (Retailer News).(extends photo developing services)(Brief Article)
May 20, 2002... In a bid to make its 813 photo departments more attractive to consumers, Target has begun making video-to-DVD and CD-transferring services available at most of its one-hour photo labs. Customers can drop off home videos and pick them up 14...

Hallmark. (Supplier News).(creates national marketing campaign)(Brief Article)
May 20, 2002... Hallmark last month broke a national advertising campaign designed to help people remember to celebrate loved ones an d friends. There are five ads, each bearing the tagline: "Send a Card. They'll never forget you remembered." The campaign...

Newell Rubbermaid. (Supplier News).(acquires American Tool Cos.)(Brief Article)
May 20, 2002... Newell Rubbermaid has completed the purchase of American Tool Companies, a leading manufacturer of hand tools and power tool accessories. The purchase price was $419 million. Prior to the acquisition, Newell Rubbermaid had held a 49.5...

American Greetings. (Supplier News).(former president, chief operating officer Edward Fruchtenbaum faces illegal insider trading charges)(Brief Article)
May 20, 2002... Securities regulators have sued former American Greetings president and chief operating officer Edward Fruchtenbaum, charging the former executive with illegal insider trading. The lawsuit alleges that Fruchtenbaum knew that the company's...

Buyers gamble on next big thing in As-Seen-On-TV game. (General Merchandise).(Brief Article)
May 20, 2002... It's not a job for the faint hearted, being a retail buyer of products that fall into the fast-changing As-Seen-On-TV category. Will that Quick Chop manual chopper that's being featured on infomercials be the next 10 million-item seller...

GM, PBC categories meet in aromatherapy card launch. (What's Hot).(Essence of Vali launches aromatherapy greeting card line)(Brief Article)
May 20, 2002... Essence of Vali, a company more familiar to the personal care space, is trying to take its aromatherapy business into the greeting card aisle. The Essence's new atraditional, aromatherapy greeting card line was a finalist last month in the best...

Drug chains worked hard for 2001 sales. (Category Report Overview).(Statistical Data Included)
May 20, 2002... While there is still some debate as to whether the chain pharmacy business is insulated from the imp act of economic recession, a quick look at 2001 sales in the channel (as provided by Information Resources Inc.) suggest the a yes have it....

Mail-Order Rx chips away at retail sales. (Pharmacy).
May 20, 2002... Mail-order drug sales are hot on the heels of retail. Of the $174.4 billion in prescription drugs dispensed last year, mail order claimed more than a $27-billion chunk, according to numbers crunched for the National Association of Chain Drug...

Category growth yields mild returns. (Category Report: OTC).(over-the-counter drug sales at drugstores)(Statistical Data Included)
May 20, 2002... Indeed, only three categories--diet aids, external analgesics and lip balms/cold sore medications--experienced double-digit growth on bases exceeding $100 million. Beyond that, there were some smaller pockets of growth found in...

Analgesics. (Category Report: OTC).(Brief Article)
May 20, 2002... While growth in OTC pain relief tablets continued to flat-line in 2001, the business on the external rub side of the category continued to show double-digit growth last year, driven by the successes of the myriad patch products that have...

Cough-cold. (Category Report: OTC).(Brief Article)
May 20, 2002... Although several retailers cited a fourth-quarter slowdown on the prescription side of the flu category in their quarterly reports, the cough-cold side of the business experienced a slight lift in 2001. Couple this with a strong uptake in the...

Diet/weight loss. (Category Report: OTC).(Brief Article)
May 20, 2002... If it could be said that the diet category is a "heavyweight" business, then Metabolife 356 sales weighed in off the charts in 2001. The company more than doubled its sales last year--even though the product contains the much-maligned ephedra...

Dietary supplements. (Category Report: OTC).(Brief Article)
May 20, 2002... The lingering effects of bad consumer press continued to take its toll on the natural health business in drug stores, particularly in the herbal segment. Lone exceptions to the rule continue to be the liver-detoxifying milk thistle and the...

Digestives. (Category Report: OTC).(Brief Article)
May 20, 2002... Certainly the late 2000 launch of Johnson & Johnson/Merck Consumer's Pepcid Complete helped stave off further attrition in the OTC gastrointestinal remedy category. The category, which was down across all three classes of trade combined, was...

First aid. (Category Report: OTC).(Brief Article)
May 20, 2002... This is not your grandmother's bandage category anymore. The past few years have seen a plethora of technology-driven product introductions, and 2002 should prove to be no different. Advances in wound care technology has driven price points...