With the constant array of children’s product launches and 63 per cent of parents seeking out natural healthcare alternatives, it’s vital that pharmacy teams keep up to date. Dawn Gay considers the latest children's products hitting pharmacy shelves

Pharmacists now find themselves in the front line of managing family health, says Rachel Burrows, editor of the leading parenting website Netmums: “Parents are reading all the latest information online and will expect their local pharmacist to know as much, or more, than they do. So investing a little time to keep abreast of updates and know your market pays real dividends, as mums and dads will feel they can trust you, and buy from you confident that you care about their child.”

An Omnibus survey on dry skin reported that 44 per cent of children aged under 16 have suffered from dry skin conditions. GSK has stepped up to the mark in response and extended its Oilatum Daily Junior dry skin range, launching a Daily Junior shampoo, head to toe wash and bath foam last November. Its Oilatum Daily Junior Lotion trailblazed the way for the Junior range, hitting pharmacy shelves in April 2014. The Oilatum brand is currently worth £22.2 million and includes the ‘number one’ prescribed emollient wash range.

Around half of parents find colic the most distressing of all baby ailments

The new Daily Junior range is being supported by a one million pound marketing campaign, with a GSK spend focusing on TV sponsorship, press, PR, digital campaigning and in-store activity. The response has been positive for pharmacists so far, says GSK’s pharmacy controller Andrew Clark: “We launched an eczema service pack to improve the treatment and care of dry skin conditions, which consists of a patient booklet, posters and patient leaflets. We have also created in-store materials, which can help leverage expertise in skin services whilst maximising sales, and these include a product tray, barkers, shelf wobblers and a product specific poster.

"Following these launches we have received extremely positive feedback. The products and materials focus on driving footfall to talk to pharmacists about advice on eczema and dry skin complaints. The leaflets and the well-merchandised fixture have proved to be great ways to engage with shoppers and start a conversation with the final outcome resulting in sales

A skincare relaunch

The South African brand Bennetts is hoping to gain traction in the UK children's health category with a relaunch of its skincare range, including a nipple cream, aqueous cream and bath drops. The brand has a longstanding heritage, developed 50 years ago by independent pharmacist Basil Bennett.

“The range has had limited pharmacy distribution in the UK but has recently been relaunched with updated designs and packaging,” explains Katie Gritt, brand marketing manager for Bennetts. “We are extremely excited about the redesign and repositioning, but most importantly the brand remains an excellent quality range of products at excellent value for money price points.”

This month, Bennetts will target the UK babycare market with a new practical product, a convenient lightweight disposable travel pack with wipes and cream for nappy changes on-the-go. “From April 2015, the innovative and unique Bum Buddy Traveller will hit the UK market and will offer mums a convenient and lightweight wipes and bum cream combo pack that is completely different to anything currently on the market. Available in 'clip strip' format, this line is super convenient for merchandising in-store as well,” says Ms Gritt.

Tiny tums

Infant colic can affect up to one in five babies, and a recent survey of over 2,000 parents found that around half of parents find colic the most distressing of all baby ailments. Natural healthcare manufacturer Nelsons released its own homeopathic alternative to treat colic – Nelsons Colica Colic Granules – in August. The granules contain citrullus colocynthis and dioscorea villosa and can be used for the symptomatic relief of colic in babies aged over one month old.

Senior brand manager for Nelsons Baby Ngaire Mitchell says: “Despite its frequency it remains poorly understood and having to care for a baby with colic can be distressing for parents, particularly first-time parents, and can have a major impact on family life. Pharmacists have an important role in helping parents understand how to deal with a colicky baby and it is vital that they are able to explain the different colic remedies available.” Nelsons Colica will feature on the high-profile baby website, babycentre.co.uk, in 2015 along with sister teething brand Nelsons Teetha.

Enterosgel, a gentle gut-cleansing gel to relieve the symptoms of stomach bugs, developed by Russian scientists 30 years ago, has only just made its debut in UK pharmacies. The product has been recommended by the World Health Organisation for food poisoning treatment since 2013.

Enterosgel works by binding itself to viruses and rotaviruses, preventing the progress of stomach bugs and lessening symptoms like diarrhoea and vomiting. The gel can also help children suffering with allergic reactions, such as food allergies, atopic dermatitis, eczema, hives and rashes, as it cleanses any toxins, pathogens and allergens from the gut.

“We introduced Enterosgel in July 2014 at the Allergy Show at Olympia, where we sold over 1,000 tubes in three days to customers with allergies, IBS and eczema,” says Elena Markaryan, brand manager at EnteroMed. “In October at the Pharmacy Show we met our first distributor, Sigma, and Enterosgel is now listed in hundreds of pharmacies throughout UK due to their amazing work.”

Ms Markaryan says that pharmacies can increase their profit with drug-free Enterosgel in the children's health category: “There is currently a very limited range of children’s products, especially for babies from birth onwards for conditions such as diarrhoea, food allergies, atopic eczema, food poisoning and stomach bugs or for travellers’ tummies. Enterosgel is easy to take, diluted in water and has no taste or colour, so children might not even notice they are taking it, but it works fast and mums will notice the result,” she adds.

Junior immune-boosters

BetterYou, the health supplement supplier, unveiled its Dlux range of immune- boosting vitamin D oral sprays for children in April 2014, including DLuxInfant, DLuxJunior and DLux1000. DLuxInfant was re-branded and re-formulated in August last year.

Andrew Thomas, the founder and managing director at BetterYou, explains that vitamin D can help boost young people’s immune systems all year round. He says: “Our vitamin D home test results are finding that people have low levels going into winter, which doesn’t put them in good stead for the cold season. Vitamin D stores also only last a short space of time, so everybody – both children and adults – is at risk of a low immune system.”

The antiviral supplement range, Sambucol, which contains black elderberry, launched its novelty Kids Teddies range in January 2014. A teddy bear jar contains 60 chewable bear-shaped tablets containing 1,000mg black elderberry and 8mg vitamin C. The tablets are suitable for children aged four plus and are free from artificial colours and flavours, preservatives and lactose.

Dental developments

The US oral care company, DenTek, brought its portfolio to the UK three years ago, which includes an array of dental health products for children. Its colourful kids' Fun Floss Picks were launched most recently in November.

The flossers should encourage little ones to floss, says Rachel Scharfman, brand manager at DenTek: “When infants start to have at least two teeth that touch parents should begin flossing for them. Children as young as four should be learning to floss and incorporate it into their daily routine, so if they start learning to do this when they have their milk teeth it will be a continual habit as they grow up.”

Established brands

When it comes to children’s health, parents are still drawn to traditional, household name brands that bring back their own comforting childhood memories. One such product, Olbas Oil, was launched in 1971 and the milder, children’s decongestant, Olbas for Children (for infants over three months) followed in 2003.

The natural plant extract oil remains a stalwart brand on pharmacy shelves, according to brand manager Nikki Kerrigan: “As a traditional and well- established brand, Olbas for Children is stocked in pharmacies across the country. We also offer a range of POS materials to allow pharmacies to promote that they are stockists of Olbas for Children, allowing for a quick purchase. By nature, pharmacies are often the easiest outlet for busy parents to pick up home remedies to help their children’s coughs and colds rather than visiting the doctor, so it is key that pharmacies list and continually stock the Olbas range.”