Special Reports Archive

According to Medline chief marketing officer Stu Schneider, it’s time for retailers and consumer health companies to start looking at the current diabetes care market like an iceberg. With more than 37% of Americans diagnosed as prediabetic, the current market for diabetes management and monitoring is really just the tip of the iceberg.

The foot care category is still dominated by Bayer Consumer’s Dr Scholl’s, which generated $291.9 million in sales for the 52 weeks ended June 4, on a 6.8% decline, according to Nielsen data as provided by Implus. Store brands gained 7.4% in that time frame to $65.6 million, and Implus gained 47.5% with the Airplus brand to $40.7 million.

Walmart’s Marcus Osborne (far right)

everythingHEALTH’s Mary Alice Lawless (left) and UnitedHealthcare’s Shannon Huneke (right)

As health insurers continue to work closer with retailers to improve access to patient care, UnitedHealthcare is among a handful of companies at the forefront of this increasingly collaborative approach.

As prescription volume increases, one of the hottest areas of pharmacy technology in recent years has been solutions for the will-call process, and RxMedic is looking to stay on the forefront of will-call solutions with its Automated Retrieval System, or ARS. The company also is working to provide dispensing and storage solutions that can adapt to reduce downtime for calibration and maintenance.

Between its recently announced partnership with IMA North America and its Pharmacy Operations Symposium, held in April in concert with Binghamton University’s Watson Institute for Systems Excellence (WISE) — Innovation has had a busy year. And according to EVP global business development Doyle Jensen, there are numerous new projects that are ongoing at Innovation, as the company is expanding its solutions to help increase pharmacy efficiency, accuracy and inventory management.

Consumers with diabetes spend 35% more on OTC products than the average consumer, noted Jeff Gregori, group VP consumer and shopper analytics for Nielsen, during a recent presentation at the National Association of Chain Drug Stores Total Store Expo. “That’s hands down more than any other ailment,” he said, and it’s because they face so many challenges beyond their initial diagnosis.