INSIGHTS AND PERSPECTIVES

BRATTLEBORO, Vt. — The organic industry grew at a rate of nearly 8% to more than $28.6 billion, according to a recent survey conducted by the Organic Trade Association.

"While total U.S. food sales grew by less than 1% in 2010, the organic food industry grew by 7.7%," said Christine Bushway, OTA's CEO and executive director. "Consumers continue to vote with their dollars in favor of the organic choice. These results illustrate the positive contribution organic agriculture and trade make to our economy, and particularly to rural livelihoods."

PARSIPPANY, N.J. — U.S. spending on drugs grew 2.3% to $307.4 billion in 2010, according to a new report by the IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics, part of industry research firm IMS Health.

LONDON — The ever-increasing popularity of vitamin D may have reached its plateau, suggested a report issued by Euromonitor International in late March, in part because of the vitamin’s ubiquity across the marketplace.

Accordingly, sales of vitamin D supplements may fall, especially sales of single-letter vitamin D, the report concluded.

WASHINGTON — The main trade group for the generic drug industry is heralding a new cost analysis by the IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics showing that generic drugs can reduce co-payments by up to 80%.

According to the analysis, contained in the report “The Use of Medicines in the United States: Review of 2010,” the average co-payment for a generic drug was $6.06 per prescripton last year, compared with $23.65 to $34.77 for preferred and nonpreferred brand drugs.

WASHINGTON — Pharmacists have become a go-to source for information about dietary supplements and also offer recommendations to patients, according to a study conducted by the Council for Responsible Nutrition.

According to the CRN’s "Life…supplemented Healthcare Professionals Impact Study," 93% of pharmacists recommend supplements to their customers, while 87% believe that supplements can play an important role in improving or maintaining the health of their customers.

ST. PAUL, Minn. — A letter educating healthcare providers regarding a drug-drug interaction between prescription anticlotting drug Plavix (clopidogrel) and a proton-pump inhibitor has resulted in a reduction in the number of patients combining the two therapies, according to a new study by Prime Therapeutics released Monday.

NEW YORK — Consumers that seek timely and detailed information about product recalls look to multiple resources, according to a new Deloitte survey.

NEW YORK — The majority of lipstick-wearing beauty mavens believe that lipstick improves their confidence, and many men associate women in red lipstick with such positive sentiments as being sexy and confident, according to the findings of a recent survey commissioned by L'Oréal Paris.

The "Lipstick Diaries" survey was commissioned by L'Oréal Paris and conducted online by Harris Interactive of nearly 2,300 men and women between March 25 and 29.

According to the survey, she said: