HEALTH

A mild winter may be setting the stage for a particularly strong spring allergy season for sufferers allergic to tree pollens and mold. The incidence of seasonal allergy has been soft of late, but IMS Health is predicting a significant uptick in allergy sufferers in the coming months.

NEW YORK — Pharmacies may be misinforming teenagers about where they can locate emergency contraceptives without a prescription, according to a new study published in Pediatrics.

Move over dump bins, endcap displays and newspaper circulars and make room for the new high-tech kid on the retail block — digitization.
Smartphones and the concept of digital coupons may not be so new, but what is relatively new to the mass market and becoming increasingly pervasive throughout the industry is the use of mobile technologies and social networking platforms — by both retailers and manufacturers — to customize offers for today’s shopper.

LAVAL, Quebec — Neptune Technologies and Bioressources on Tuesday announced that Denver Broncos EVP football operations and retired star quarterback John Elway has signed on as a spokesman for the company's Neptune Krill Oil brand.

"This is an exceptional day for our company and we could not be more pleased to partner with one of the best professional football players to ever play the game," Neptune president and CEO Henri Harland said.

A few weeks ago, we joined some 37,000 of our closest friends for the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) annual conference. HIMSS is a cause-based, not-for-profit organization focused on providing global leadership for the optimal use of information technology and management systems for the betterment of health care.

JERUSALEM — The Food and Drug Administration has approved a drug made by Teva for treating allergies, the company said Monday.

Teva announced the approval of Qnasl (beclomethasone dipropionate) for seasonal and year-round nasal allergies in patients ages 12 years and older. The company said the drug, a "dry" nasal aerosol, would become available next month.

SILVER SPRING, Md. — Sunpeaks Ventures last week announced national advertising support behind its Clotamin multivitamin line — a line of supplements formulated for use by patients on warfarin or other blood thinners.

"Until now, Clotamin has never been the focus of any consumer marketing," stated Mackie Barch, Sunpeaks CEO. "The product's popularity has been built solely through positive word of mouth from our customers and through pharmacies that already carry the product."

The recent Food and Drug Administration public meeting on driving future switch potential by way of the pharmacist and/or health technology sparked some discussion on what’s next.