NEW YORK: Quigley Corp., maker of Cold-Eeze zinc lozenges, is partnering with the National Council on the Aging (NCOA) on a campaign to educate seniors about the potential dangers of over-the-counter drugs.
The educational campaign will launch November 15 in New York and will also hit cities that boast a large population of seniors.
In each market, seminars conducted through NCOA's network of senior centers will emphasize the potential for drug interactions between certain prescription medications and OTC drugs.
"We really wanted to get out there and reach seniors one-on-one," said Alissa Pinck, VP at GS Schwartz, Quigley's AOR.
Quigley got involved with NCOA after it recently tested Cold-Eeze in seniors and determined it posed no risk when combined with prescription medications. Hence, the campaign represents an opportunity to highlight the product's advantage over similar cold remedies.
"The results of that study really made them want to do this program," she said.
Although Cold-Eeze won't be explicitly promoted during the new program, it will be included in educational materials that list drugs that can be taken safely with other medications, said Pinck.
Seniors will also receive a tri-fold wallet card on which they can list all of their medications, and then keep on hand to show to a doctor or pharmacist.
"It's really a nice take-home tool," Pinck said.
About 243,000 seniors are hospitalized each year due to OTC and prescription drug interactions.
