INSIGHTS AND PERSPECTIVES

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT — Internet.bs, huh? Hmm ... wonder what the BS stands for?

(THE NEWS: At least one-third of rogue pharmacies under one domain name registrar, report finds. For the full story, click here)

LegitScript, a company that verifies online pharmacies, went undercover, saying that it was interested in having Internet.bs host its illegal online pharmacies.

WASHINGTON — Women take mental health drugs at a much higher rate than men, according to a new study by one of the country's largest pharmacy benefit managers.

Medco Health Solutions released results of the study Monday, showing that 25% of women use psychotropic drugs, compared with 15% of men. The study was based on the pharmacy claims of more than 2 million Americans and measured the use of drugs for treating depression, anxiety, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and psychotic disorders between 2001 and 2010.

WASHINGTON — Many Walgreens customers are "flocking" to independent pharmacies amid the dispute between the retail pharmacy chain and pharmacy benefit manager Express Scripts, a trade group representing the PBM industry said.

The Pharmaceutical Care Management Association announced results of a survey conducted by North Star Opinion Research, touting the results as evidence of preferred pharmacy networks' benefits to independent retail pharmacies and customers.

NEW YORK — During the 2011 holiday season, the top retail applications and websites combined — including Amazon, Best Buy, eBay, Target and Walmart — reached nearly 60% of smartphone owners, according to Nielsen.

“The majority of smartphone owners used their devices for shopping this past holiday season,” said John Burbank, president of strategic initiatives at Nielsen. “Mobile shopping has reached scale and is only going to grow as smartphone penetration continues to rise.”

NEW YORK — The Ethisphere Institute's sixth annual selection of the "World's Most Ethical Companies" included several of the nation's top retailers.

Among this year's list of 145 organizations, Ethisphere — which describes itself as a leading international think-tank dedicated to the creation, advancement and sharing of best practices in business ethics, corporate social responsibility, anti-corruption and sustainability — included Costco, Safeway, Target, Wegmans and Whole Foods.

WASHINGTON — Pills for treating cancer have created numerous alternatives to spending hours in a clinic or at home receiving chemotherapy infusions, but risks of drug interactions remain, according to a new survey by the research arm of pharmacy benefit manager Medco Health Solutions.

CHICAGO — While consumers will continue to define value based on price, other key trends — including new product development, technology, store layouts and shopping patterns — will drive the market in 2012, according to SymphonyIRI research.

In its latest Times & Trends report, "CPG 2011 Year in Review: The Search for Footing in an Evolving Marketplace," SymphonyIRI said that in order to effectively compete in the market, consumer packaged goods manufacturers and retailers should take note of the following predictions:

BOSTON — A new study has indicated that the consumption of white rice can increase one's risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.