Apothecon adds 17 drugs to line

Chain Drug Review, May 18, 1992

PRINCETON, N.J.--Two over-the-counter medications and 17 prescription drugs that had been distributed by a number of Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. divisions have been added to the product line of Apothecon, the multisource sector of the company.

The prescription products are atenolol, Fungizone, K-Lyte, K-Lyte/CL Klotrix, Naldecon, Naturetin, Prolixin, Pronestyl, Quibron, Quibron-T, Raudixin, Rauzide, Saluron, Salutensin, Stadol and Vasodilan. Its O-T-Cs are Colace and Peri-Colace.

"Sales of our products have grown dramatically in the last two years," says a division spokesman. "The pharmacists' role has expanded. What we try to do is enhance the profession by bringing it to a higher level in the community and to help its image in the health care field."

Ordering procedures will not be affected. All 19 products will be available through local wholesalers or from the company's distribution center. The latter serves all pharmaceutical divisions, including Apothecon.

The Apothecon spokesman attributes the division's success to two major factors.

"First," he says, " we have a dedicated sales force that calls only on pharmacies. Our representatives contact over 10,000 retail pharmacies nationwide, and they are supplemented by a pharmacy-specific telemarketing group. There aren't that many companies that do that. When we visit retail pharmacists we're there to help serve those pharmacists.

"Second, we have the benefited from the quality that goes into every one of our products."

Apothecon, which is part of the company's medical products group, makes vitamins, in addition to prescription and O-T-C drugs. Some of the subsidiary's best-known products are Theragran vitamins and the Naldecon cough/cold line.

The division was formed soon after the 1989 merger of Bristol-Myers Co. and Squibb Corp., when officials from both groups opted to combine pharmacy operations. The subsidiary has since expanded into distribution.