Association News

The 2006 RSC focuses on the role of self-care in healthcare

There is still time to register for CHPA's 2006 Regulatory and Scientific Conference (RSC), scheduled for May 2-3 at the Fairmont Washington, D.C. Nearly 100 people already are registered for the one-and-one-half day meeting entitled “Self-Care in Healthcare: Innovation, Application, and Communication.”

The conference will feature presentations from FDA's Charles Ganley, M.D., director, Office of Nonprescription Products (ONP); Scott Gottlieb, M.D., deputy commissioner of medical and scientific affairs; and Susanna Weiss, Ph.D., J.D., social science analyst, ONP. Meeting attendees will be able to engage these FDA representatives during question-and-answer sessions. Scheduled breaks will be opportunities for networking with FDAers, as well as industry colleagues.

Additional speakers at the one-and-a-half-day meeting include Hubertus Cranz, Ph.D., director general, Association of the European Self-Medication Industry (AESGP), who will bring an international perspective to the RSC by presenting an update on the European regulatory environment. Attendees also will have the chance to learn something about themselves when Charles Prather, Ph.D., president, Bottom Line Innovation Associates, Inc., discusses the impact of creativity styles on how we think. Product packaging ideas for OTC medicines will be presented by Ken Bertram, market manager for consumer health, and Brad Jones, compliance development specialist, both of MeadWestvaco Healthcare Packaging. Timothy Willke, general manager, ACNielsen BASES North America, will focus on a key step in the innovative process: how to evaluate the success of your ideas.

Day one of the RSC program includes two 90-minute interactive workshops as well. The first, entitled “New Opportunities for Expanding Access to OTC Products,” will highlight different avenues to enhance availability of OTC medicines to consumers. The second workshop is on “Navigating Switch Study Challenges.” During this session, the speaker panel and audience will discuss the biggest challenges facing FDA regulators and industry in evaluating label comprehension, self-selection, and actual-use study data.

On the second day of the meeting, Joseph Coughlin, Ph.D., founding director, MIT/AgeLab; Jane Delgado, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer, National Alliance for Hispanic Health; and Sharon Allison-Ottey, M.D., director of health and community initiatives, The COSHAR Foundation, will talk about the art of communicating to different population segments, such as older consumers, Hispanics, and other culturally diverse groups. The RSC will conclude with a discussion among RSC speakers, including FDA's Ganley and Gottlieb, about key learnings from the conference. Audience members will then have approximately 45 minutes to pose questions to the panelists.

You won’t want to miss this opportunity to learn new approaches that can be used in the area of OTC medicines. Be sure to sign up now for the 2006 RSC. Registration and hotel information is available online. Although the CHPA hotel room block may be sold out, alternative hotel information is available by contacting Maria Sarabia or Dr. Marcia Howard.

CHPA contacts: Dr. Lorna Totman and Dr. Marcia Howard | Back to the top


CHPA members were good sports at the 2006 AEC

CHPA's Annual Executive Conference (AEC), held March 16-18 in Aventura, Florida, not only provided members with the opportunity to exercise their minds but their bodies, as well. The conference included a tennis doubles tournament and clinic, a golf outing, and Prevention Magazine's fun run and walk (See March 24 XNL for full AEC coverage). Congratulations to all of the event winners!

 

	Tennis anyone?
The doubles tournament and tennis clinic were "aces" with AEC meeting attendees.

Randy Sloan, Del Pharmaceuticals, Inc., (left) and Jim Rudolph, Active International, Inc., prepare to hit the fairway.

From left: New CHPA Chair John Hendrickson, Perrigo; Paul Johnson, DPT; Jim Mackey, Schering-Plough; and Rick June, Procter & Gamble, take a water break after the race. 

All of the individual category and overall winners from Prevention Magazine's fun run and walk show off their medals.

See you next year!

The Association's next AEC will be held March 15-17, 2007, at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort in Naples, Florida. Be sure to mark your calendar!

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Industry News

Federal Agency Update

FDA highlights its achievements for 2005

FDA issued a news release March 29 touting the Agency's major accomplishments for 2005. FDA specifically cited the following five key areas among the goals it achieved last year:

• Progress was made in implementing the Agency's Critical Path Initiative; 

• Several initiatives were introduced to make a more transparent adverse event reporting system for marketed drugs;

• A new collaborative effort with states and private industry was established to help protect the nation's food supply from potential bioterrorist acts;

• Several counter-terrorism medical products were approved; and

• Proper manufacturing of medications was strengthened through the enforcement of Good Manufacturing Practices.

Additional efforts mentioned by FDA include fostering relationships with agencies in other countries and the completion of a new building for its Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. The news release also included links to five fact sheets containing more detailed information of the Agency's 2005 achievements in the areas of drugs, biologics, medical devices, foods, toxicology, and regulatory affairs.

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FDA's 2006 science forum looks at 100 years of Agency history

FDA is holding its centennial science forum April 18-20 at the Washington, D.C., Convention Center. Entitled "A Century of FDA Science: Pioneering the Future of Public Health,"  the event will focus on what FDA has accomplished in the past, as well as where it is likely to head in the future.

During the course of the two-and-a-half day forum, attendees may choose from 23 breakout sessions featuring presentations by representatives from FDA and other components of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, as well as from industry and academia. Topics to be covered in the sessions include a historical perspective of FDA science, risk-based inspections and surveillance, obesity, and managing uncertainty in risk assessment. Each day of the meeting also features a plenary session, the second of which will be presented by Acting FDA Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach, M.D.

Additionally, FDA is hosting a free public session in conjunction with the forum. To be held April 18 from 1:30 - 5:30 p.m., the session called "Ask FDA" will open with a keynote address by Harvey Fineberg, M.D., Ph.D., president, National Academy of Science's Institute of Medicine. FDA's Janet Woodcock, M.D., will then moderate a panel of Agency scientists participating in a general discussion of the types of products FDA regulates. The public will have the opportunity to address questions to the panel.

Additional information on FDA's science forum is available online.

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U.S. Department of Commerce holds meetings on conducting business in China

The U.S. Department of Commerce's U.S. Commercial Service is conducting conferences in three U.S. cities on business opportunities in China available to U.S. exporters of goods and services. The meetings will be held May 15-17 in Houston, Texas; May 17-19 in Washington, D.C.; and May 22-24 in Cleveland, Ohio.

The conferences will provide U.S. businesses of all sizes with market information and guidance on exporting products and services to Shanghai, Hong Kong, and other regions of China. Speakers with proven experience in the Chinese marketplace will share their expertise on such topics as discerning variations in strategies and best practices in Chinese cities and regions, navigating Chinese law, and identifying hot market opportunities. The U.S. Commercial Service also is offering a limited number of one-on-one customized briefings with industry trade specialists who will provide company-specific information and recommendations on exporting to China.

More information on the conferences and one-on-one briefing opportunities is available online.

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Nutritional Supplement Activities

NIH hosts conference on supplements and disease prevention

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) issued a notice in the March 28 Federal Register announcing a meeting entitled "State-of-the-Science Conference: Multivitamin/Mineral Supplements and Chronic Disease Prevention." The event, which will be held May 15-17 in Bethesda, Maryland, is open to the public. It will convene at the NIH Natcher Conference Center beginning at 8:30 a.m. on May 15 and 16 and at 9:00 a.m. on May 17.

During the conference, a panel of independent experts will assess the available evidence on multivitamin and mineral use, discuss outcomes for chronic disease prevention in adults, and make recommendations for future research. The first half of the meeting will consist of presentations by expert researchers, practitioners, and open public discussions. During the second half, the panel will present a statement of its collective assessment of the evidence to respond to a number of key questions concerning multivitamin and mineral use.

Additional program and registration information for the conference is available online.
 

CHPA contact on nutritional supplement issues: Dr. Marcia Howard | Back to the top


In Brief

Hannan steps in as interim head of NACDS

The National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) issued a press release March 31 announcing that Robert Hannan took over as the interim president and chief executive officer of the chain drug group April 3. Hannan, who currently runs Hannan Executive Services, Inc., previously filled this slot for NACDS in 1999. The association plans to appoint a search committee for the position after May 1.
 

NACDS also noted that President and Chief Executive Officer Craig Fuller resigned from the organization after serving over six years in the top spot.

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OTC Bulletin announces its 2006 marketing awards

OTC Bulletin published the winners of its OTC Marketing Awards 2006 in its March 2 issue. A panel, consisting of representatives from a number of "across-the-pond" retailers, ranked companies and brands based on their 2005 retail experiences. Top award winners included OTC Company of the Year: GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare and Pfizer Consumer Healthcare (joint winners), and OTC Brand of the Year: Reckitt Benckiser's Gaviscon heartburn and indigestion remedy.

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NMHCC holds 18th annual conference and exhibition

The National Managed Health Care Congress (NMHCC) is hosting its annual conference and exhibition April 24-26 at the Washington, D.C., Convention Center. The event features seminars and presentations on such topics as developing an effective obesity management program, improving women's health through evidence-based specialty management, and understanding the factors driving healthcare costs. The conference also offers 10 concurrent healthcare-related tracks, including one that will examine how healthcare savings accounts are impacting cost and health management. Additional program and registration information is available online.

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