24,000 Frequent Heartburn Sufferers are scheduled to get first access to a newly approved Over The Counter treatment for frequent heart burn.
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 Jacksonville, FL and Roanoke, VA 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 |
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"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."
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.
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.
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