Offering nutritional supplements can be lucrative and beneficial to your practice. Three nutrition company representatives tell you how

Market trend reports state that sales for nutritional supplements reached well into the billions in 2003. The problem for consumers is that they are offered myriad choices for herbal treatments. Yet grocery stores and health-food outlets lack expert guidance for consumers. Shoppers are left to decipher bottle labels alone and fend for themselves.

Why not tap into this lucrative movement and offer nutritional supplements in your practice as a secondary profit center? As chiropractic gains a reputation in holistic health care, nutritional supplements seem to be an obvious addition to a chiropractic patient’s health regimen.

To discuss the possibilities for your practice, Chiropractic Products interviewed three experts in the field of nutritional supplements.

Rick Becker is a sales manager for PhysioLogics, a manufacturer of nutritional supplements based in Northglenn, Colo. Becker has 25 years of experience in both the natural foods and supplements industries.

Joe N. Messino is the director of sales and product training for Douglas Laboratories Inc in Pittsburgh. Douglas has been supplying quality nutritional supplements to the professional health care industry for more than 50 years and to the chiropractic industry for over 25 years. Messino has been with Douglas for 7 years. Prior to that, he was in the fitness industry since 1982 and has been an avid user and proponent of nutritional supplements the entire time.

Ed Thomas is vice president of sales and customer marketing for Remington Health Products LLC. Thomas has 14 years of sales, marketing, and management experience in the consumer package industry with companies such as Celestial Seasonings and Twinlab. Thomas has been selling and marketing nutritional supplements for the past 6 years with Celestial Seasonings, Twinlab, and Remington Health Products, LLC.

What are the three most important issues when offering nutritional supplements in DC practices?

Becker: First, product mix or selection. Second, strong customer service or support. And third, offering value-added programs to help DCs introduce nutritional supplements to patients, helping educate the patients in the DC office, and offering quality products that are effective anddeliver positive results.

Messino: The number one issue is to ensure that every patient is given the core nutrition in the four areas where experts say individuals are most deficient. People need a good multivitamin/mineral (as evidenced by the June 2002 admission in JAMA that all adults should take a multivitamin), essential fatty acids, additional antioxidants, and probiotics to counter conditions caused by overprescription of antibiotics. All condition-specific protocols can be implemented after core nutrition is in place.

Thomas: Fairly unique products, good value for the patient, good profit for the chiropractor.

What are some common mistakes chiropractors make in setting up a nutritional secondary profit center?

Becker: Not properly promoting education on benefits of nutritional supplements, using testimonials, offering available literature, and having the right mix of products to present to their patients.

Messino: The first mistake is calling it a secondary profit center. Instead, it should be an integral component of the chiropractor’s wellness center. It should be given the same level of importance and attention as the adjustments. Incorporating nutrition and wellness as a primary function of the examination and protocol will eliminate the secondary status of the profit center. Also, a staff member should be dedicated as a wellness coordinator to eliminate any stigma attached to chiropractors selling supplements. Chiropractors should prescribe the protocol, and the wellness coordinator should dispense the supplements and collect the money.

Thomas: They do not do enough research as to what products are in the marketplace. One key component is to find products unique to the industry but mainstream enough so the patient will not be afraid to try it.

What do you recommend DCs know take when offering supplements?

Becker: Effective ways of building a practice using nutritional supplements, taking care of the whole body—outside and inside, building a secondary profit center, and getting results for patients.

Messino: Basic nutrition, free radical/antioxidant therapies with supplements supported by clinical trials, such as CoQ10, plant sterols, and EGCGs from green tea. The more studies the better. CoQ10 has more than 4,000 studies. Be as condition-specific as possible, such as CHD, diabetes, obesity, and antiaging.

Thomas: Basic understanding of all vitamins, nutrients/ supplements, and herbals. Learn what each can help in condition-specific ailments and show DCs as a destination for knowledge and products.

What patient education literature/tools or seminars do you recommend DCs give their patients?

Becker: Offer product reference sheets on specific products, such as patient brochures. Have a media center for patients while they wait, using computers to disseminate timely and effective information on health-related conditions. Coordinate open-house meetings to discuss the latest research. Also, utilize newsletters with up-to-date information.

Thomas: Obviously product brochures, information from research articles (white papers), and key Web sites for information specific to a topic.

What advice do you have for DCs who are thinking about setting up a nutritional secondary profit center?

Becker: Have the right products for your practice. Partner with a nutritional supplement company for technical support and customer service. Know that you can trust the product efficacy and the label claims giving full disclosure.

Messino: Differentiate their practice through private labeling.

Thomas: Seek out companies with products you feel comfortable recommending. Become as knowledgeable as possible. Patients really enjoy the one-on-one time and want the education on these products, even if it is just their multivitamin.

What are the best-selling supplements in DC practices and why?

Becker: Glucosamine, condrotin sulfate, MSM, calcium, omega-3s. These products are effective for the relief of joint problems and have had tremendous results. Patients feel better, are more mobile, and are active once more without having much discomfort or pain.

Messino: In addition to joint health–related supplements and natural anti-inflammatory supplements, general health (multivitamins), free-radical prevention (antioxidants), essential fat for neurological, and cardiovascular and digestive health. Digestive health is often overlooked and is essential for making sure the supplements prescribed are being absorbed.

Thomas: Products that aid in pain relief (glucosamine). These products are effective, and they are fairly relative to the DCs practice and scope of knowledge.

What marketing niche tools and advice do you have for chiropractors?

Becker: Give information on what to take to counteract drugs that are given to patients. Also, be proactive in giving information via a media kiosk to patients about the latest nutritional supplements in the marketplace.

Messino: Support their suggestions and protocols with as many studies and testimonials as possible. Then differentiate your practice through private labeling and by providing convenience packs to maximize compliance and produce results.

Thomas: If I were starting a nutritional profit center, I would focus on three to five lines of products with unique delivery systems that are exciting and different for patients and products of which I would have a good understanding (basic items). I would create an outstanding presentation in the office to attract patients to ask questions. If I had the chance, I would try to have all of my patients on a multivitamin for general health and as a means of producing extra revenue for my practice.

What should DCs expect from their nutrition company?

Becker: 1) Good technical support and research; 2) added value service, such as unique formulations and GMP compliant; 3) full label disclosure; and 4) outside testing of products, certificates of analysis on products.

Messino: The highest possible quality and best-in-class manufacturing. This supports the chiropractor’s cause in providing a nutritional supplement worthy of his recommendation and superior in quality and efficacy to the generic brands from the local discount store. A quality manufacturer will also have scientific support with a staff that is able to answer all of the chiropractor and patient questions and concerns.

Thomas: Chiropractors should expect outstanding customer service, quality products, patient information, Web site support (informational and ordering), point-of-purchase materials (posters, counter signs), regular communication on promotions and new products (monthly or quarterly, but only when there is something to talk about), fast and free shipments, and sample doses, as available though not excessively.

What do you see for the future of the nutritional supplement market?

Becker: This is a growing area. Many doctors are turning to natural alternatives, including nutritional supplements, to work with patients instead of drugs. The goal is to create wellness in people instead of masking the illness.

Messino: A simultaneous move toward condition-specific nutrition, coupled with state-of-the-art packaging (eg, daily packs), to ensure convenience, greater compliance from the user, and better results.

Thomas: I see the alternative delivery methods becoming the norm, such as liquids, effervescents, and quick-dissolve tabs. These products are able to put more active ingredients into a single dose and help the patient move away from swallowing so many large pills. Even products such as Advil have gone to liquid gels for faster relief. I also see the glucosamine market growing again due to more patient/chiropractor awareness and success, and the recent studies on prescription drugs and its side effects on patients. CP

Julie Z. Lee is a contributing writer for Chiropractic Products.