38% of You Recommend Nutraceuticals to Patients in Your Businesses

question:

Do you recommend nutraceuticals in your business?

Yes: 38%

• We recommend AREDS 2 supplements for AMD and Nordic Naturals Pro Omega 2000 for dry eyes. We recommend Vitreous Health by MacuHealth. We do not stock them because we don’t have room, and they run the risk of expiring. Dierdre Fogle, OD, Eyetopia Eyecare, Littleton, CO
• DE3, MacuHealth and Vitreous Health are all stocked and sold in office. Pam Peters, Midwest Eye, Downers Grove, IL
• MacuHealth because we don’t want patients buying whatever is cheapest on Amazon. We prescribe based on science and want to make sure our patients are getting what they need, from us. Jennifer Stewart, OD, Look New Canaan, New Canaan, CT
• MacuHealth. Sell them but do not stock them. Scott Brase, OD, Island Family Eyecare, Bainbridge Island, WA
• We sell PRN with our code direct to patients, so we don’t have to deal with inventory or expiration dates, and we get credit when they order directly from them. Rialeigh Yoder, Sea Eye Care, Norfolk, VA
• Yes, MacuHealth. Whitney Head-Potter, Beatty Eyes, Missoula, MT
• MacuHealth DM triple carotenoid formula plus Omega 3 and Nordic Naturals pure Omega 3 from deep sea fish oil. Tory Moore, OD, Dumas Vision Source, Dumas, TX
• Just recommend. Had them before and they expired. Kathy Collins, OD, Kissel Eye Care, Lititz, PA
• We stock and sell MaxiVision. Jim Williams, Eye to Eye Optometry, Mexico, MO
• We are just in the process of adding nutraceuticals. People are looking for pharmaceutical alternatives as well as trustworthy sources to provide those options. Nikki Griffin, EyeStyles Optical and Boutique, Oakdale, MN
• We will recommend taking Omega 3s when people have dry eye, but we don’t sell them here. Morgan DiMaggio, Taylor Eye Care, Carmi, IL
• We recommend AREDS 2, but we just haven’t moved them well in the past. Also, it’s hard to evaluate the credibility of nutraceutical claims. Douglas Holle, OD, Sunset Eye Care, San Angelo, TX
• We carry dry eye related supplements in-house. Kelsey Bredice, A Proper View, Winston Salem, NC
• We carry PRN and MacuHealth products, sell them in house, direct from company and in our online store. Marc Ullman, OD, Academy Vision, Pine Beach, NJ
• We stock in house — multivitamin, fish oil, EZ tears — mostly Eye Promise supplements. Misty Arrowood, Aldridge Eye Institute, Burnsville, NC
• It’s good for overall eye health. We do offer eye vitamins. Samantha Humes, Clavenna Vision Institute, Birmingham, MI
• MacuHealth products and OcuSci fish oil products for dry eye. Jeff Grosekemper, Casa De Oro Eyecare, Spring Valley, CA
• We do sell them in house. AREDS and dry eye are our go to nutraceuticals. Mark Perry, OD, Vision Health Institute, Orlando, FL
• It is limited but we advised Omega 3 and AREDS 2 based supplements. We stock both in brands we know are good for patients. The margins are low on them, but it helps ensure patients are using the right thing and keeps them connected to the practice. Zachary Dirks, OD, St. Peter and Belle Plaine Eyecare Centers, Saint Peter, MN
• I’ve stocked VitreousHealth and MacuHealth Omega 3s. We discuss with patients the benefits, though even with explanation I find it difficult to sell. Some people aren’t interested in taking more medications. Cynthia Sayers, OD, EyeShop Optical Center, Lewis Center, OH
• I’m a firm believer in supplementations in general. My next to do is to offer them in office instead of just advising on them. Ben Thayil, OD, Lifetime Vision and Eye Care, Miami, FL
• We sell Pro Omega for dry eye and MacuHealth for macular degeneration. Lisa Smith, Precision Eye Care, Vancouver, WA
• Standard Process’ Oculotrophin PMG. It is a supplement of ground up cow and pig cell tissue that helps heal damaged retinal tissue in the macular area. From my experience, eight out of 10 people recover part of their vision after taking this pill over the last 14 years of recommending it. Scott Keating, OD, Vision Trends, Dover, OH
• MacuHealth. We well them but do not stock them. Scott Brase, OD, Island Family Eyecare, Bainbridge Island, WA

No: 62%

• No reason. Diana Canto Sims, Buena Vista Optical, Chicago, IL
• I’m not a doctor’s office. Kyla Skinner, Specs by Kyla, Atascadero, CA
• I don’t have a storefront and keep as little inventory on hand as possible. Kari Keene, Keene Vision, Rock Hill, SC
• We aren’t in favor of doctors having a “selling” relationship with products like pharmaceuticals, vitamins, etc. We prefer to recommend generic or OTC solutions instead, to preserve patient trust in our providers. Jen Heller, Pend Oreille Vision Care, Sandpoint, ID
• We’d need more info and training on them. Kristina Jordan, The Eye Site, Mishawaka, IN
• I don’t have a doctor. Jennifer Leuzzi, Mill Creek Optical, Dansville, NY
• Don’t know enough about them. Robert Lootens, Physicians Optical Service, Jefferson City, MO