In this Issue

As Drug Store News suggested last month, legislation under consideration in Tennessee and Kentucky that would make the popular decongestant pseudoephedrine only available by prescription has, in fact, sparked interest in neighboring states. Arkansas shares a border with Kentucky, where a PSE prescription-only bill was filed in January, and Mississippi, one of two states that already has passed PSE prescription-only legislation.

American cuisine always has been influenced by the country’s diverse population. An expanding ethnic population and a proliferation of TV cooking shows have led to even greater interest in ethnic foods among American consumers.

Ethnic food sales are expected to increase 19% from 2010 to 2015, according to a recent report published by Mintel. The study revealed that 64% of U.S. households said that ethnic sauces, condiments and/or seasonings could be found in their kitchens.

With pharmacists across the country now able to administer vaccinations, the Department of Health and Human Services’ plan came at just the right time.

NEW YORK — Nestled within Bed Bath & Beyond’s Upper East Side location in New York City is the first-ever L’Oréal Paris “boutique.” The boutique carves out an oasis for beauty — a somewhat logical extension from the “bath” in “Bed Bath & Beyond.” The boutique features L’Oréal Paris skin care, hair care, cosmetics and hair color products.

NEW YORK — The Manhattan Institute has come up with a novel idea to help New York state slash its healthcare costs by a hefty $350 million by 2020: Expand access to retail health clinics.

Sounds simple enough, right? Think again.

The safety and efficacy debate around several children’s cough-cold ingredients over the past few years, the spate of recalls of several pediatric products in the past year and the more recent media-driven concern over a child accidentally overdosing are all helping to raise awareness of homeopathic solutions, especially as those are the kinds of issues that drive moms to the Internet in search of answers.

As expected, the facial anti-aging segment continues to experience overall growth as women continue their quest for the fountain of youth in a bottle.

Such brands as Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting and Garnier Nutritioniste Ultra-Lift enjoyed strong growth as beauty mavens sought to banish fine lines and wrinkles.

Among such brands as Olay, L’Oréal and Neutrogena, Bio-Oil held its ground and saw an 18% sales boost for the 12 weeks ended Jan. 23, according to SymphonyIRI Group.

Alarming statistics are as common in the healthcare world as healthcare workers themselves, but some of the latest numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are particularly dramatic: Nearly 26 million Americans have diabetes, the agency said in late January, and an estimated 79 million U.S. adults — representing more than one-third of all adults in the country — have prediabetes.