IMS HEALTH Launches Tracking Service in Finland 8/6/00 Global information giant IMS HEALTH has launched its PharmaTrend Over-the-Counter (OTC) service in Finland. This measures OTC product sales in pharmacies, and Finland becomes the twelfth country in Europe in which OTC sales are being tracked by PharmaTrend. PharmaTrend provides insights into consumer sales of OTC products, enabling manufacturers and marketers to get a detailed picture of the effect of new product introductions, promotional and advertising strategies, consumer behaviour, and short and long term branding investments. Stock rotation rates of different brands and market share and trends can all be analysed and compared. According to Pekka Huhtala, SelfMedication manager, IMS HEALTH Finland, "PharmaTrend is the first tracking tool available in Finland which measures 'sell-out' and stock levels in pharmacies. In other words, what the consumers are actually buying, which is distinct from more traditional measurements of wholesale 'sell-in' to the pharmacies. With PharmaTrend now available in Finland, IMS HEALTH can provide OTC manufacturers and marketers in Finland with the best possible means to track, measure and understand exactly what is going on in the marketplace." IMS HEALTH has recently opened an office of its SelfMedication division in Helsinki to support the implementation and sales of PharmaTrend in the Finnish marketplace.