Health Mart Launches Private-Label OTC Products

Health Mart, a network of more than 2900 independently owned pharmacies, introduced a line of private-label, over-the-counter health care products last month. The line is designed to help community pharmacies build closer customer relationships and enhance the pharmacist’s image as a health care provider, according to the company.

“Health Mart pharmacies continue to be recognized by consumers as health care leaders. This is most recently exemplified by the franchise ranking highest in overall customer satisfaction among chain drug stores in the JD Power National Pharmacy Study,” said Brian Tyler, president of McKesson US Pharmaceutical. “The Health Mart private label will help our Health Mart pharmacists advance their relationships with customers with an affordable, high-quality line of over-the-counter health products.”

The Health Mart private-label packaging design features a white lab coat combined with the iconic mortar and pestle to reinforce the promise of personalized patient care that Health Mart patients already receive from their local pharmacist.

“McKesson continues to provide Health Mart pharmacies with innovative solutions and tools that support our goal of delivering high-quality, personal care to our communities,” said Michael Butler, PharmD, of Village Health Mart in Hot Springs Village, Arkansas, in a statement. The line was launched in conjunction with American Diabetes Month to emphasize the key role that community pharmacists play in helping diabetic patients better manage their condition. “In addition to valuable programs such as the Diabetes Life Center and the Health Mart Healthy Living Tour, the Health Mart private-label diabetes products will further enable us to showcase our leadership in diabetes care,” he noted.

Additional health care categories will be added regularly, with smoking-cessation and analgesics products scheduled to launch in January 2012. The Health Mart private label will grow to include products for upper respiratory, baby care, first aid, personal diagnostics, skin care, vitamins, incontinence, eye and ear care, and digestive health categories.

According to Nielsen, private-label products are growing faster than branded products across most OTC categories, with sales increasing 7% over the past year. Items for the Health Mart private label were selected through a careful analysis of the best-performing products as preferred by consumers. The new line provides Health Mart pharmacies the ability to offer high-quality products at retail prices as much as 20.40% less than national brand varieties.