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Gastrointestinal Tablets

The recession upset many stomachs, and to cure them consumers reached for remedy tablets like Pepto-Bismol. Stomach remedy tablets were the shining star of the gastrointestinal products category, growing 50% in dollar sales over the past year, and 10% in unit sales overall. Supermarkets are adding these and other products, including recent Rx-to-OTC switches like Prevacid and Zegerid, to provide a

The recession upset many stomachs, and to cure them consumers reached for remedy tablets like Pepto-Bismol. Stomach remedy tablets were the shining star of the gastrointestinal products category, growing 50% in dollar sales over the past year, and 10% in unit sales overall. Supermarkets are adding these and other products, including recent Rx-to-OTC switches like Prevacid and Zegerid, to provide a sales lift for their growing pharmacy departments. However, drug stores still dominate on sales of laxatives, anti-diarrhea medication and other remedies for sensitive ailments.

Pharmaceutical companies like Schering-Plough continue to seek and receive over-the-counter approval from the Food and Drug Administration for medications like Zegerid, which got the green light in December of last year. Like Prilosec, Zegerid is a proton-pump inhibitor, which treats heartburn at the source. Consumers are clearly attracted to advanced formulas like this, though companies usually see sales dip when their patents run out and private-label alternatives hit the market.

52 WEEKS ENDING JUNE 13, 2010 DOLLAR SALES % CHANGE FROM LAST YEAR
Supermarkets $649.1M 2.4
Drug $1.1B 9.7
F/D/Mx $1.9B 6.9
CALENDAR YEAR 2007 2008
DOLLAR SALES
2009
Supermarkets $646.1M $634.0M $633.1M
Drug $993.1M $991.0M $1.1B
F/D/Mx $1.8B $1.8B $1.9B

SUBCATEGORIES

52 WEEKS ENDING JUNE 13, 2010 DOLLAR SALES % CHANGE FROM LAST YEAR
Antacid Tablets $430.3M 4.6
Antacid/Analgesic Combo $17.8M -4.3
Diarrhea Tablets $49.7M -4.1
Laxative Tablets $132.4M -4.7
Stomach Remedy Tablets $18.5M 43.0