Advice You - Business

There they go again. Starbucks Corp. is on a mission to boost sales of glittery snow globes and

According to USFDA, a combination product is one composed of any combination of a drug and device; biological product and device; drug and biological product

other non-coffee items.

Been there, done that, and not very well.

I joined Starbucks in the mi

; or drug, device, and biological product and fixed dose combination would include two or more combinations of drug.

Examples of combination products may in

-'90s, left to start my consultancy in the late '90s, but remain a committed believer in the bra

lude drug-coated devices, drugs packaged with delivery devices in medical kits, and drugs and devices packaged separately but intended to be used together.

d and its core purpose. In other words, I am a faithful Starbuckian, whose dut

here is enormous increase in the number of combination products entering the market in the recent years. Combination products have proven advantages but fixe

it always will be to love the Company and to speak out when I think it is going astray.

Starbu

d dose combinations are still in the process of convincing regulatory authority on their advantages over the single ingredient formulations.

Combination pro

ks, to me, is a brand that should be emulated by anyone wanting to build a business the right wa

ucts have become life saving products for the pharmaceutical companies who doesn’t have many innovative molecules in their product pipeline and have been inc

. But even the greatest companies get off coarse occasionally, and for Starbucks merchandise sal

easingly used in the product life cycle management. Even the companies having product patents are trying to extend their product life cycle through the combi

s seems to be its recurring Achilles' heel.

Without going into all the history, Starbucks core

nation products and maximize the revenues. But the companies involved in this practice are overlooking that they are burdening the patients both economically

urpose is not about cookie trays, Christmas ornaments or warm and fuzzy "bearistas." It is about

and physically. They need to rightly judge the benefits of the combination products and they have to even look at the risks involved when combining the produ

the Third Place Experience and providing the best coffeehouse value in the world. Starb

ts. Some of the combination products were well accepted by physicians while others suffered. Companies involved in development of combination products are fi

cks partners (employees) understand this and so do Starbucks loyal customers; nevertheless, exec

ding difficulty in defining their combination products and facing various challenges from selecting a combination to marketing it.

Following aspects would a

tives, in an effort to add more profit, once again delude themselves into believing that merchan

dd to the challenges in developing combination products:

Which markets to tap where the combination products can do fairly well?
Which combination prod

ise that goes beyond the coffeehouse experience fits into the Company's core purpose. They have

cts are meaningful and rational?
Which therapeutic categories to select?
Which Combinations can address unmet needs of the patients?
Do combin

ven hired a new Vice President to make it happen.

Once and for all, Christmas merchandise is no

tions increase the patient compliance?
What would be the developing cost?
How to tackle the risks encountered during combination product developmen

part of Starbucks core purpose and it does not enhance the Third Place Experience<

t?

As combination products don't fit into the traditional categories of drugs, medical devices, or biological products, the USFDA is in the process of devel

em>. In fact, it detracts from the experience.What it does do is clutter the floors with items w

ping new procedures for reviewing their safety, efficacy and quality.

Professional from academic institutions, pharmaceutical industries, health care indust

customers don't want. We become confused and frustrated by the merchandising of non-coffeehouse

y and representatives from various regulatory agencies are working out to design the regulatory requirements for manufacture and sale of combination products

junk, which results in brand dilution. It makes us feel as if Starbucks is just another retailer

.

As there is an increasing trend of the combination products companies manufacturing such products should be able to tackle the problems involved in the de

trying to get into our pockets.

Why, Starbucks, do you do this? You are too good to fall victim

elopment. They need to be wiser in analyzing the market trends and the regulatory requirements.

Companies that provide selfless information through particip

to this wrongful thinking? For all our sakes, get back to your core purpose. Make us proud again

tion in industry events and feedback to regulatory authorities would be able to face the challenges and will be successful in developing combination products

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Advice You - Starbucks: Please Don't

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