Drug Topics - February 18, 2008 - (Page 7)

www.drugtopics.com FEBRUARY 18, 2008 DRUG TOPICS 7 Of Interest to Pharmacists Earn add-on winter sales with medicated skin care This article is contributed by the Hamacher Resource Group (www.hamacher.com). Based in Milwaukee and with offices in the United Kingdom, HRG’s comprehensive services combine the art of communicating with the science of data analysis to improve the profitability of every link in the retail healthcare supply chain. Manufacturers, retailers, wholesalers, and others count on HRG for strategic solutions to their business goals. ost drugstores do not merchandise as a separate category the product classes that fall under the umbrella of “medicated skin care.” Rather, they are usually scattered about in categories as diverse as foot care, skin care, and cold and allergy. When considered together, however, the products included in this category are sales powerhouses, from lip balms to antiitch remedies for psoriasis and eczema. expert recommendations. Often, consumers assume a prescription remedy is necessary to treat ordinary psoriasis or eczema, but several effective OTCs are available. Merchandising for success Since products in medicated skin care range across different categories, clever cross-merchandising is crucial to generating extra sales. Ordinary lip balms are a classic point-of-sale item. But consider including a row of a premium cold sore medicine at the register as well. Or, if its premium price makes it too great a risk to keep near the door, include signage with the POS lip balms pointing customers to the cold and allergy department for serious cold sore medicine. Skin crack creams are another premium prodPartial medicated uct customers may not skin care never-outs list notice if they aren’t Therapeutic shampoo aware they exist. Signage Scalpicin 1.5oz at the shelf of heavyNeutrogena T-Gel 6oz duty moisturizers can educate customers about Diabetes skin care Dermal Therapy Heel Care 2oz crack creams’ effectiveness over and above the Cold sore remedies strength of moisturizers. Abreva Cold Sore Cream 2gm Educational leaflets Lip preparations about psoriasis and ChapStick Regular 0.15oz eczema at the anti-itch Carmex Original Jar 0.25oz remedy shelf can alert Vaseline Lip Tube 0.35oz shoppers to the possibilAcne creams, gels, lotions, ity their chronically and patches flaky skin patches might Clean & Clear Persa-gel 1oz be due to more than Medicated and specialty soaps winter dryness. Aveeno Moisturizing Bar 3.5oz Finally, drugstores need to plan ahead. Skin remedies Mederma Gel 20gm When you know a strong selling season is Skin protectants on the way, stock up on Vaseline Jelly 3.5oz the products your customers will want to buy. Consider your usual shopper demographics and weather patterns, and plan accordingly. If your drugstore has the extra space, or can rearrange or reallocate space without robbing from other categories, creating a dedicated “medicated skin care” section is a very worthwhile pursuit. DT M Best bets During the cold and dry winter months, watch for drugstore shoppers to show extra interest in lip balms and cold sore medicines. Outdoor activities and dry indoor heat take a toll on sensitive skin, especially the lips. Skin crack ointments and creams also sell especially well during winter, when regular moisturizing doesn’t always keep the hands and face smooth and soft. Drugstores may also see an upward tick in their anti-itch remedies, since psoriasis and eczema typically worsen during the winter months. Though it officially resides in the hair care department, medicated shampoos and scalp treatment sales can see an upswing during winter when dry scalp conditions can worsen. Finally, sales of athlete’s foot medicines may increase during winter when more people hit the gym for exercise because it’s a little too cold to exercise outdoors. How to satisfy category shoppers It’s important first for pharmacy staff to know about common conditions of the skin, then to be aware of the OTCs that can effectively treat them. For example, dry lips appear to be a self-evident problem. But there are two main paths to treatment: to burn off the dry layer of skin with an ingredient such as salicylic acid, or to soften that dry layer with a skin protectant. Different products take different approaches to the same problem; reading ingredients and learning the differences can arm every staff member with the knowledge needed to make http://www.drugtopics.com http://www.hamacher.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Drug Topics - February 18, 2008

Drug Topics - February 18, 2008 Contents Get Ready to Usher in These New OTCs Top 200 Brand Drugs By Units in 2007 Top 200 Generic Drugs By Units in 2007 Earn Add-On Winter Sales With Medicated Skin Care Latest News Roundup

Drug Topics - February 18, 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.