KROGER TEXAS DIVISIONS TO SPONSOR GUIDEBOOKS

JANICE ZOELLER

DALLAS -- Kroger's Texas divisions, based here and in Houston, have signed on as the Southwestern sponsors of a series of guidebooks on prescription and OTC medications.

The guidebooks will begin appearing in stores in November, according to the publisher. Kroger was unavailable for comment.

The series consists of five publications targeted to specific audiences: women, seniors, parents (for pediatric medications), diabetics and arthritics. The guidebooks are published by MediZine Inc., New York, a division of Lang Communications, publisher of Working Woman, Sassy and Success magazines.

Kroger Co., based in Cincinnati, is the only supermarket chain participating. Other retail sponsors are drug store chains. Eckerd, Largo, Fla., is the sponsor for the Southeast; Genovese, Melville, N.Y., for the Middle Atlantic States; CVS, Woonsocket, R.I., for the Northeast; Walgreen, Deerfield, Ill., for the Northwest; Pay Less-Thrifty, Tacoma, Wash., for the West, and Revco, Twinsburg, Ohio, for the Midwest.

The opening text on the inside front cover is customized with the name of, and a message from, the sponsoring retailer.

Each guidebook describes various prescription and OTC drugs relevant to each audience. The booklets discuss the best candidates for specific drugs, common side-effects and drug interactions. The booklets suggest questions to ask physicians and share general health tips.

Also included are coupons for related OTC products. For example, the "Guidebook to Women's Medications" has coupons for Gyne-Lotrimin, Fact Plus and Extra-Strength Tylenol.

The guidebooks are intended for display on the pharmacy counter. "Your product benefits from controlled distribution and implied endorsement by the pharmacist at the point of purchase," MediZine's promotional literature tells potential manufacturer sponsors.

Annual updates of the five guidebooks are planned.