Pharmacy

Novartis is capitalizing on rival J&J's woes with a giveaway of its new Triaminic OTC children's acetaminophen.

Patients not taking or refilling medications on time costs the pharmaceutical industry billions each year. The housing bubble and recession have helped write a new chapter in the compliance story, as higher numbers of new prescriptions simply go unfilled because patients either cannot afford, or are unwilling, to pay for them.

Pharmacies that counseled patients for a chronic COPD/respiratory drug saw an average increase in refill rates of more than 36% through the fifth fill, said McKesson.

Cardinal Health launched the Pharmacy Health Network in early August, serving up digital prescription and OTC advertising in 3,000 independent retail and franchised pharmacies nationwide.

Schering-Plough, Novartis, J&J, Wyeth and others are using Rite Aid's new "video values" site to offer coupons and information about their products.