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24 Heartburn Cities in Nation Chosen to Compete in the BurnTown
Challenge
24,000 Frequent Heartburn Sufferers to Get First Access to a Newly Approved OTC Treatment for
Frequent Heartburn
CINCINNATI, June 20 /PRNewswire/ -- With New York City subways and Los
Angeles traffic, you might expect these two cities to lead the country in
heartburn, but that is not the case. In fact, the cities that do lead the
nation in suffering the most from heartburn may surprise you. According to the
National Heartburn Alliance (NHBA)'s list of the top 24 cities impacted by
frequent heartburn -- heartburn occurring two or more days per week --
Charlotte, NC ranks number 1, with cities such as Roanoke, VA and Salt Lake
City, UT also included.
In an effort to help the estimated over 50 million people currently living
with frequent heartburn, The Procter & Gamble Health Sciences Institute (P&G
HSI) is working with America's pharmacists and the NHBA to issue a nationwide
educational initiative challenging 24,000 heartburn sufferers to control their
heartburn and help them change their life. The BurnTown Challenge will offer
free frequent heartburn screenings and provide 1,000 people in each of the 24
heartburn cities information on lifestyle modification tips and educational
materials to help them manage their frequent heartburn. In addition, those
participating in the Challenge will receive a free 14-day supply of PRILOSEC
OTC(TM) (omeprazole magnesium delayed release tablets) -- approved by the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration for over-the-counter treatment of frequent
heartburn.
Educational materials for the BurnTown Challenge have been provided by the
American Pharmacists Association (APhA), representing America's 200,000
pharmacists, and the National Heartburn Alliance (NHBA), a group of healthcare
professionals dedicated to providing education and a community of support for
heartburn sufferers.
The following U.S. cities, in rank order, have been identified by the
National Heartburn Alliance to be most impacted from frequent heartburn:
1. Charlotte, NC
2. Jacksonville, FL
3. Roanoke, VA
4. Louisville, KY
5. Denver, CO
6. Spokane, WA
7. Miami, FL
8. Tampa/St. Petersburg, FL
9. Atlanta, GA
10. Grand Rapids, MI
11. Orlando, FL
12. Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN
13. Milwaukee, WI
14. Pittsburgh, PA
15. Boston, MA
16. Raleigh, NC
17. Baltimore, MD
18. Albany, NY
19. Salt Lake City, UT
20. Columbus, OH
21. Cincinnati, OH
22. Omaha, NE
23. Des Moines, IA
24. Peoria, IL
"There are several effective and appropriate over-the-counter remedies for
occasional cases of heartburn, but when people find that they are using these
treatments several days a week -- they need to know there are lifestyle
modifications and newer OTC therapies that they can turn to -- and that's
where the BurnTown Challenge comes in," says Robert Rakel, M.D., chair of the
NHBA.
"The BurnTown Challenge brings America's pharmacists and consumers
together to talk about frequent heartburn and how to appropriately treat it.
The pharmacist can help consumers sort through available OTC remedies and make
the best choice for their symptoms, or if indicated, refer the consumer to
their physician for evaluation," says Jan Engle, Pharm.D., Immediate Past
President of the American Pharmacists Association (APhA).
"We are thrilled to be working with America's pharmacists and the NHBA to
provide people affected by frequent heartburn with the opportunity to
participate in the BurnTown Challenge and get first access to PRILOSEC OTC,"
says Greg Allgood, Ph.D., associate director, Procter & Gamble Health Sciences
Institute. "PRILOSEC OTC works in a totally different way from current OTC
heartburn products. When used as directed, it is the only OTC medication that
shuts down active acid-producing pumps at the source for 24 hours, reducing
the amount of heartburn-causing acid."
BurnTown Challenge Details
The BurnTown Challenge will focus on heartburn sufferers in 24 cities
identified in a recent survey by the NHBA as being the top U.S. cities most
affected by frequent heartburn -- or heartburn that occurs two or more days
per week.
"The Burn Factor" survey found that 90 percent of frequent heartburn
sufferers say that heartburn impacts their quality of life, yet nearly half
who suffer from symptoms have never heard of the condition. Further, half of
frequent heartburn sufferers believe it is impossible to live heartburn free.
(2003 National Heartburn Alliance Survey)
People can enroll in the BurnTown Challenge once they have completed a
screening assessment that determines if they have frequent heartburn. Local
events will be held in each of the 24 cities where people can get screened for
frequent heartburn and enroll in the BurnTown Challenge. Residents unable to
visit the local screenings also can take the frequent heartburn screener and
enroll on-line at http://www.burntownchallenge.com . Enrollment for the BurnTown
Challenge will continue throughout most of the summer.
When the BurnTown Challenge begins later this summer, nearly 24,000 people
across the nation will simultaneously start and finish the Challenge. At the
end of the BurnTown Challenge, the city that has the most participants and
progress check-ins will win $25,000 for their local or state fire association.
One participant also will win an all-expense paid trip to New York City.
About APhA
The American Pharmacists Association (APhA) provides information,
education and advocacy to help all pharmacists improve medication use and
advance patient care. Founded in 1852, APhA is the first established and
largest professional association of pharmacists in the United States. More
information on APhA is available at http://www.aphanet.org .
The APhA OTC Media Advisor Network consists of expert pharmacist
volunteers who respond to media requests for information in the self-care/OTC
area. Pharmacists from the American Pharmacists Association's OTC Media
Advisor Network are available as a resource to the media for information about
this and other OTC medications/self-care health issues. To contact a member of
the OTC Media Advisor Network, contact Michael Stewart, Director of APhA's
Public Relations Department, Phone: (202) 429-7558,
Email: mstewart@aphanet.org .
About NHBA
The National Heartburn Alliance (NHBA) is a group of health care
professionals dedicated to providing education and a community of support for
heartburn sufferers by providing education about the causes and effects of
heartburn, as well as solutions that offer them relief and improved quality of
life. For more information, visit their website at http://www.heartburnalliance.org
or call 877-NHBA-INFO (877-642-2463).
About P&G
The P&G Health Sciences Institute is dedicated to identifying, developing,
and using leading healthcare technologies in the development of effective
products for both the developing and developed world ( http://www.pghsi.com ).
Two billion times a day, P&G brands touch the lives of people around the
world. P&G brands in over 160 countries around the world include: Vicks(R),
Pampers(R), Tide(R), Ariel(R), Always(R), Whisper(R), Pantene(R), Bounty(R),
Pringles(R), Folgers(R), Charmin(R), Downy(R), Lenor(R), Iams(R), Crest(R),
Actonel(R), Olay(R) and Clairol Nice 'n Easy(R). The P&G community consists
of nearly 102,000 employees working in almost 80 countries
worldwide ( http://www.pg.com ).
About Prilosec
From 1996-2000, PRILOSEC(R) (omeprazole) was the top-selling prescription
medication in the world with more than 10 million patients taking it during
that period. PRILOSEC OTC was brought to the over-the-counter market through
an alliance between P&G and AstraZeneca, who will continue to make
prescription PRILOSEC for the treatment of heartburn associated with
gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and other acid-related diseases. The
approval by the FDA for its sale over-the-counter marks the first time a
proton pump inhibitor has been available to consumers for the treatment of
frequent heartburn. PRILOSEC OTC is the only OTC therapy specifically
indicated for frequent heartburn. While Procter & Gamble expects PRILOSEC OTC
to be available on store shelves later this fall, it will be made available to
the top heartburn cities through the BurnTown Challenge.
Ranking/Survey Methodology
The cities most impacted by frequent heartburn were identified using the
"Burn Factor Index" which is based on several points of data including high
per-household spending on acid controllers/antacids [according to barcode
scanner data tracked by Information Resources Incorporated (IRI)], multiple
"quality of life" aspects of how heartburn affects sufferers, and respondent-
cited consumption of various heartburn products.
After all the data were collected, the cities were ranked from first to
last according to a numerical grade of 1 to 100. Because the ranking is based
on a comparative scale, with cities ranked solely in relation to each other,
some positions and scores could shift over time without necessarily indicating
significant statistical changes.
The telephone survey conducted from March through May 2003 by
ICR/International Communications Research of Media, PA, identified and
interviewed more than 5,900 adults suffering from frequent heartburn in these
cities. The maximum margin of error for this survey is +/- 5% at the 95%
confidence level.
SOURCE Procter & Gamble Company
Web Site: http://www.pg.com http://www.burntownchallenge.com
http://www.aphanet.org http://www.heartburnalliance.org
http://www.pghsi.com
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