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C h a i n D ru g s to re D a i l y 5 7 M o n d a y, Au g u s t 2 5 , 2 0 1 4 INNOVATIVE BROWNIE BITES ARE NEWEST OFFERING FROM BARRY'S GOURMET BROWNIES There is nothing more enticing to many palates than chocolate, especially gooey chocolate brownies piping hot from the oven. As the President/CEO of Barry's Gourmet Brownies, Doug Byrd has seen first-hand America's love affair with his company's culinary treasures. To give consumers a convenient way to savor brownies on-the-go, he crafted an inno- vative idea. The result is Barry's Gourmet Brownies' Brownie Bites, which are packaged in a microwaveable cup and can be warmed in 10-15 seconds and have the same effect as a home- baked brownie. Around 40 years ago, Barry (the man behind the company name) perfected a made-from-scratch brownie recipe that drew rave reviews from family and friends whenever he baked a pan of his homemade treat. Yet, he never marketed the delicacy until after the response it received at a special event in January 2013. In less than 10 months, Barry's Gourmet Brownies has evolved from a man with a homemade recipe to a bustling global company that expects to have more than 200 employees by the end of 2014. The brownies are made at the company's state-of-the-art bakery located in St. Petersburg. The company is seeing a growing presence in restau- rants, convenience stores, colleges, theme parks and grocery stores through- out the country in all avenues for distri- bution. Celebrities have raved about the brownies after experienc- ing them at many venues such as the Sports, News and Daytime Emmy Awards, SOBE Wine and Food festival at Miami Beach, and most recently, the MTV Movie Awards in Beverly Hills, Calif. The company will be attending the George Lopez Golf Tournament in Burbank, Calif., and the Sugar Ray Leonard Charity Event on the Santa Monica Pier. "I frequently travel around the coun- try meeting with distributors, retailers and event representatives, and seemingly everywhere I look, I see people drinking coffee," Byrd said. "Not only are brown- ies perfect with milk, but they are also an ideal match with a cup of coffee, which hatched the idea for the Brownie Bites." Not only are the Brownie Bites unique, but so is the packaging, which features a convenient microwaveable cup for the on-the-go consumer as well as a larger bucket of bites that contains 24 bite size brownies. Barry's Gourmet Brownies' product line also features full-size 4-ounce brownies, snack-size 2-ounce brownies, as well as fresh baked and fast frozen brownie sheets designed for retailers that have in-store bakeries or commis- saries. Byrd says that Barry's Gourmet Brownies is presently negotiating with a vending machine company that has machines with a built-in microwave and will be available in airports, college cam- puses, convenience stores and other pub- lic venues. "Many people have fond memories of sharing homemade brownies with family around the dinner table, but in today's fast-paced society, many of us are constantly on the go, so the Brownie Bites allow people to enjoy a homemade delicacy wherever they are," Byrd said. For more information, visit www .barrysgourmetbrownies.com. MAYO CLINIC'S MARK S. FRATZKE NAMED CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER FOR ALAMEDA HEALTH SYSTEM Alameda Health System (AHS) has announced that Mark S. Fratzke has been named Chief Operating Officer. In his new role, Mr. Fratzke is responsible for leading system operations across Alameda Health System's five hospitals and four ambulatory wellness centers. He will also serve as the Chief Administrative Officer for Highland Hospital, a regional trauma center and teaching hospital located in Oakland, Calif. "Mark's insights into delivering the highest quality care are culled from his more than 25 years of health care administration experience, including 10 years at the world-renowned Mayo Clinic," said Wright L. Lassiter, III, Chief Executive Officer of AHS. "His strategic understanding of hospital and clinic operations provide a huge oppor- tunity for our system to continue our delivery of world-class patient and fam- ily centered health care to all of Alameda County." Mr. Fratzke most recently worked as the Chief Operating Officer of the Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic's Southwest Minnesota region, which includes multiple integrated hospitals and clinics with 3,600 employees. Mr. Fratzke led all clinical operations, clini- cal support services and strategy. "I am looking forward to the oppor- tunity to serve Alameda County by ensur- ing the growing number of patients we are seeing have prompt access to the highest level of quality and customer service," said Mr. Fratzke about his new role at AHS. He previously held several roles within Mayo Clinic including Chief Nursing Officer, Chief of Hospital Operations and Nurse Administrator for Neurosurgery, Neurology, Rehabilitation and Discharge Planning. Prior to the Mayo Clinic, Mr. Fratzke was the Administrator of the Kaweah Delta Rehabilitation Hospital and Mental Health Hospital in Visalia, Calif. During his 16 years there, he planned and organized the building of a 61-bed freestanding rehabilitation hospi- tal, and helped acquire an additional 68- bed mental health hospital. He is also a member of VHA's Clinical Steering Committee, and the Minnesota Hospital Association. Mr. Fratzke has a Doctorate Degree in Nursing Practice from Rush University in Chicago, Ill., a Master's Degree in Healthcare Administration from University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Business in Minneapolis, Minn., and a Bachelor's Degree in Nursing from Winona State University in Winona, Minn. About Alameda Health System (AHS) Alameda Health System, a major public health care provider headquartered in Oakland, California, is recognized as a world-class patient and family centered system of care with more than 4,500 employees, 1,000 physicians and 480 volunteers. Their facilities include Highland Hospital, a major regional trau- ma center and teaching hospital; Alameda Hospital, an acute care facility providing emergency, in-patient and out- patient services in Alameda; San Leandro Hospital, which provides emergency and in-patient hospital care services; John George Psychiatric Hospital, an acute and emergency care facility in San Leandro; Fairmont Hospital, an acute rehabilitation hospital and skilled nursing facility, also in San Leandro; and four ambulatory wellness centers in Oakland as well as in Newark and Hayward. INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE: MALLINCKRODT An interview with Ginger Collier, Senior Director of Marketing, Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals. CDD: What do you anticipate to be your greatest challenge in the year ahead? GC: Continued industry consolidations for manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers, along with pressure for lower reimbursement, which often has unfore- seen consequences on healthcare. CDD: What was the most significant event or series of events affecting your company in the past year? GC: The market consolidation of the largest retail chains aligning with the largest industry wholesalers. It created a new model that is evolving with each new alignment. CDD: What is the nature of your distri- bution? GC: Mallinckrodt sells its products through drug wholesalers and warehousing chains. Because our products are highly regulated by the DEA, it is more difficult for warehousing chains to order directly. Drug wholesalers are experienced with distributing controlled substances, so they are our method of distribution. CDD: How do you see the industry addressing such concerns in the con- trolled substance space? GC: Many companies, including Mallinckrodt, have increased efforts to educate physicians and pharmacists alike, particularly in the increase of abuse and diversion. One such example is the formu- lation of the Anti-Diversion Industry Working Group (ADIWG), a consortium of pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors founded by Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals in August 2013, along with mem- bers, Cardinal Health, McKesson Corporation, AmerisourceBergen, Actavis and Endo-Qualitest Pharmaceuticals. ADIWG most recently, in conjunction with The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP), produced an educational video for pharmacists entitled "Red Flags" (http://youtu.be/fdv0B210bEk) to help them identify the warning signs of pre- scription drug abuse and diversion when dispensing controlled substance prescrip- tions. Americans abuse prescription drugs more than cocaine, heroin and hallucino- gens combined, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. "Red Flags" encourages pharmacists to help combat this national problem by exercising their professional judgment to ensure the pre- scriptions they dispense were written for a legitimate medical purpose, and to act upon any unusual behavior they observe. As a manufacturer of con- trolled substances and pain medi- cines, Mallinckrodt is dedicated to providing safe and effective med- ications for the treatment of patients with pain and is equally committed to working with policy makers, law enforcement and industry to address the complex issues of opioid addiction and abuse. CDD: How do you see the next year in terms of economy, sales, technology and product evolution? GC: There may be continued pricing pressure as PBMs look to cut costs through lower reimbursement or formu- lary management. This will make it more difficult for our pharmacy customers and they in turn will be looking for ways to offset losses so they can consistently offer patient care programs that go beyond filling a prescription. For more information, visit booth 315, call 800-325-8888 or go to www.mallinckrodt.com.