Diversity (as in nutraceuticals)

As you know I am a stickler for quality nutritional supplementation. And I do have my favorite brands, and there are a ton of others out there which I don’t use that are excellent too.

What I want to talk to you about today is diversity…in a nutritional supplementation kind of way.

In working with pharmacies looking to expand their functional pharmacy offerings as well as independent pharmacists implementing their consulting practices, I caution on standing behind one brand.

Sure, you can have your core brand, although it is my experience, for the good of your practice as well as the good of your patient care, and so much more…do integrate a few different lines together.

There are many reasons for this, here are a few

• Supply chain issues are a real thing these days- and we are seeing more and more brands that will run a backorder, so it helps to be able to pivot. For instance, I use metabolic xtra by Pure AND cm core by Ortho Molecular for my berberine. If one is unavailable, I can pivot.
• Small differences in formulations can further target your patients needs. Using the Metabolic Xtra and CM Core for example…Where both of these products have berberine and alpha lipoic acid, there are some other differences in ingredients and amounts which can influence recommendations based on patient compliance, and other metabolic concerns (I have a complete training on this in Nutritional Spotlight in the members area)
• Unique protocols are harder to copy. I learned this real early in my career. When I had my pharmacy there was a nurse practitioner a few doors down which I was making lots of recommendations for her patients- I was basically educating her and her patients, and I got the product sales. It was cool- until, she contacted the same nutritional company and hijacked my work and sales. This happens, don’t kid yourself. Thus, if you have a nutritional company that wants to give you all of its protocols exclusively, remember- its all duplicatable and unless they are offering you a local exclusivity, the pharmacy down the road can do the same thing.
• Some companies are just better at some things than others. Some companies totally nail GI support, while others …adrenals…and some are OK at being a jack of all trades, master of none. This all comes into play, and aligned when we design your practice, your protocols, your niche’s, core values and goals.

Hope this helps, if you need help in finding out which core company you might vibe with, stay tuned for my next post.