Executive Summary

Information Resources, Inc. will roll out a 34,000-plus consumer panel to track and measure consumer purchases of pharmaceuticals. RxPulse "will allow clients to monitor Rx and OTC drug usage across key segments, including ailments treated, consumer attributes and channel purchasing, for both conventional retail and online buying," IRI says June 14. Panel is first phase of what IRI terms a "suite of services for the pharmaceutical and health care markets." Market research firm also is conducting surveys to examine consumer purchase habits related to Rx, OTC drugs using InfoScan retail scanner data. IRI's announcement comes shortly after ACNielsen launched its Homescan Rx/OTC Consumer Panel, which will involve roughly 24,000 people (1"The Tan Sheet" June 3, 2002, p. 14)...