Are you keeping up with what’s popular in dietary supplements?
Patients today are purchasing more vitamins and supplements as they strive to live healthier lifestyles, which make supplements prime products to boost your front-end sales. Additionally, physicians often prescribe or recommend supplements along with prescription medications.
If you aren’t offering the vitamins and supplements your patients are looking for, they may turn to a different pharmacy.
Here’s a look at what’s trending in dietary supplements today, and how you can use these trends to improve your bottom line.
Trends in supplements
Fifty-two percent of adults reported using supplements in 2012, according to an Oct. 11 study by the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) Network. And, from 1999 to 2012, trends in vitamins and supplements changed among these adults.
Changing trends over the study period included:
- The use of multivitamins, vitamins C, E and selenium all decreased
- Vitamin D supplementation use increased by 14 percent
- Fish oil supplement use increased by 11 percent
These findings demonstrate the significant changes in the types of supplements consumers look for over time. Due to changing trends, it’s important to reevaluate the role certain supplements play in your pharmacy’s front end, and make adjustments where necessary.
Making the most of your front end
Knowing which supplements are trending allows you to stock the ones that are in high-demand, and avoid wasting money on those that aren’t selling.
Stock a few different options of each supplement, so that patients can make comparisons and feel more comfortable making a choice.
Also, the location of supplements in your pharmacy needs to be strategic. For example, do most of your patients who purchase supplements do so in addition to a prescription medication? If so, it may be beneficial to have the supplements near the pick-up counter so that patients see them when waiting for their medications.
And, consider creating an end cap that includes the most popular vitamins and supplements. As trends change, make sure you update your end cap accordingly.
Promoting the right supplements
Simply stocking products won’t make them go flying off the shelves. Promoting the supplements you offer is key, as many patients may not be aware that you carry vitamin D supplements or fish oil pills.
Include educational materials in patients’ prescription bags as well as with front-end purchases, to remind patients of the supplements you offer and the benefits they provide.
You can also write a post about supplement use on your blog and share it with your social media followers. Include product recommendations in the post to drive more sales.
Medication interactions
While offering and promoting the right vitamins and supplements can increase front-end sales, it’s important to make sure patients are informed and educated before using these products.
When a patient is looking for certain supplements to take, you should always consult with him about other medications he’s taking to avoid any negative interactions.
Additionally, train your staff on which supplements to recommend and when they should suggest a patient consult with a pharmacist.
Check out these tips for promoting vitamins in your front end.
