Relief for common skin ailments

Chain Drug Review, Sept 29, 2008

NEW YORK -- Poison ivy, deer tick bites, impetigo, ringworm, minor burns and other skin infections and rashes are among the conditions treated at the MinuteClinic walk-in clinics at CVS Caremark Corp. stores. The clinics expand access to "high-quality, affordable treatment for common family illnesses," including skin conditions customarily treated with first aid products, "at a time when there is increased consumer demand for more patient-centric health care," says MinuteClinic president Chip Phillips.

The importance to the chain drug mix of first aid ointments and antiseptics is evident from the category's success over the past year. Sales of such products in drug stores climbed almost 5% to $277 million, according to Information Resources Inc. In the overall mass market, excluding WaI-Mart Stores Inc., the segment's sales advanced just 3.3 %. "We're obviously more of a destination for people with minor skin infections than supermarkets and mass merchandisers," comments one chain drug retailer. "All the clinics we're opening haven't hurt."

OINTMENTS/ANTISEPTICS

TOTAL DOLLAR SALES * $227.3 mil. ( 4.7%)

DRUG STORES $449.1 mil. ( 3.3%)

                               Dollar      Dollar
LEADING              Market     sales       sales
BRANDS **             share     (000)     % change

Neosporin             11.60%   $32,131        1.5%
Neosporin Plus         6.40%    17,671        1.7%
Mederma                6.10%    17,005       15.9%
Hibiclens              2.40%     6,556   -   20.2%
Polysporin             2.20%     6,146   -   -7.2%
Solarcaine             1.60%     4,468       -8.4%
Bactine                1.30%     3,634        0.7%
Becton Dickinson       1.20%     3,384   -  -11.7%
A and D                1.20%     3,324       28.3%
Blairex                1.20%     3,293   -   -9.7%

TOTAL UNIT SALES * 132 mil. ( 0.7%)

DRUGSTORES 67.06 mil. ( 2.4%)

                       Avg.      Unit        Unit
LEADING               price     sales       sales
BRANDS **           per unit    (000)     % change

Neosporin              $6.04    $5,317        1.5%
Neosporin Plus          6.86     2,576        1.8%
Becton Dickinson        2.55     1,328       12.1%
Polysporin              7.60       809        5.7%
Mederma                21.34       797       11.5%
A and D                 4.18       796       29.1%
Hibiclens               9.93       660       17.8%
Solarcaine              7.48       598       12.9%
T N Dickinson's         5.33       539       12.9%
Bactine                 6.79       535        0.5%

* Total of drug stores, supermarkets and discount
stores excluding Wal-Mart Stores Inc.

** In drug stores only. Private label products account
for a 42.3% dollar share and a 66.3% unit share.

Source: Information Resources Inc. For the 52 weeks
ended August 10, 2008.