Merck on Friday announced the Food and Drug Administration has approved the switch of Oxytrol for Women (oxybutynin transdermal system, 3.9 mg/day) from prescription-only to nonprescription, creating a new category — overactive bladder in women — in the OTC area.

The Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America and the Consumer Healthcare Products Association on Tuesday joined forces to honor the Bucks County, Pa.-based Bucks Promise for Youth and Communities with this year’s Dose of Prevention award.

H. D. Smith announced the establishment of H. D. Smith Specialty Solutions, an organization structured to provide focus and alignment around specialty and traditional brand products, solutions and services.

This will be a big year for implementation of the Patient Protection Affordable Care Act, and the National Community Pharmacists Association will track the process closely on behalf of NCPA members and the patients they serve. NCPA recently submitted comments about the ACA’s Multi-State Plans, or MSPs, being designed by the Office of Personnel Management.

The Food and Drug Administration has set user fee rates for generic drug companies, the agency said.

The world market for generic drugs will jump more than 15% this year and reach a global total of $127.8 billion, a British market research firm predicted.

The state supreme court in Alabama ruled that brand-name drug companies could be sued if patients suffer complications from generic versions of their medicines, according to published reports.

Growth in the consumer products market is likely to slow down over the next five years, while pharmacy retailers will see a profit windfall due to the generic drug cycle, according to a new report.

Generic drug maker Watson Pharmaceuticals has hired a former executive from the Generic Pharmaceutical Association to head lobbying at the federal and state level, the company said.

While pressure to grow will drive more large drug makers to pursue mergers and acquisitions, diminished resources and competition from biotech and specialty pharmaceutical companies will challenge their ability to do so, according to a new report.

Drug maker Prasco Labs has launched an authorized generic version of a drug used to treat heavy menstrual bleeding, the company said.

The Food and Drug Administration has approved a generic drug for heavy menstrual bleeding made by Watson Pharmaceuticals, the drug maker said.