Specialty Nutraceuticals
4 Reasons Pharmacists Should Learn More
In an article for the Journal of the American Pharmacists Association, the author, Norman V. Carroll, Ph.D., shared the results of a study he’d conducted that affirmed what many people in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries have long believed about community pharmacists. The article concluded:
- Pharmacists regularly recommend to physicians that they initiate, discontinue, or change a particular drug therapy.
- Pharmacists usually do this to correct clinical problems or to provide patients with less costly options and
- They usually succeed in convincing physicians to follow their suggestions.
Pharmacists have a significant influence on the prescription process.
As many pharmacists would agree, this influence comes with a big responsibility to consider emerging treatment options carefully. Specifically, why should pharmacists learn more about the specialty nutraceuticals option?
What are Nutraceuticals
Nutraceuticals are commonly defined as any substance in food or a food component that provides medicinal or health benefits, including the prevention and treatment of disease.
Nutraceuticals include various agents such as dietary supplements, isolated nutrients, herbal supplements, and specific food products. It is estimated that 77% of Americans use nutritional supplements, including more than 70% of adults over 60. With an increase in the use and variety of nutraceuticals, there are potential benefits and risks to the available products.
With the explosive growth of nutraceuticals and their growing popularity among consumers, pharmacists can enhance their skills and further cement their position as healthcare providers.
4 Reasons Pharmacists Should Learn More
1. Pharmacists must be well informed about an integrated health system and the treatment options now available to patients.
Many people—including pharmacists—are currently unclear about a specialty nutraceutical. Some might even assume it’s a catchy new name for a line of health foods, herbal remedies, and vitamin supplements. But such assumptions are incorrect.
According to the 1988 amendments to the FDA’s Orphan Drug Act, medical food is “intended for the specific dietary management of a disease or condition for which distinctive nutritional requirements, based on recognized scientific principles, are established by medical evaluation.”
Specialty nutraceuticals are dietary products that support a specific structure or physical function. Specialty nutraceuticals do not substitute drugs and other traditional medical treatments. Instead, they are part of integrative medicine, a strategy that safely and effectively supports immune health and other conditions.
For more on the FDA’s perspective on specialty nutraceuticals, visit:
2. In many cases, specialty nutraceuticals offer significant benefits over other treatment options.
Specialty nutraceuticals provide doctors and other healthcare providers with a valuable treatment option. They do not have the side effects or high price tags that come with many drugs. In fact, for various indications, they can be administered as a first treatment step before drugs, sparing patients (at least initially) both the potential side effects and high costs.
Glutrasol Dietary Supplement
Glutrasol offers therapeutic levels of transfer factors, glucans, prebiotics and probiotics, vitamins, and minerals and has a rich vanilla flavor.
3. Specialty nutraceuticals can help millions of people.
We have already seen mounting scientific evidence that specific specialty nutraceuticals can be pretty effective in treating various conditions and diseases, from depression and sleep disorders to breast cancer and early-stage Alzheimer’s. The bottom line for pharmacists and everyone in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries is clear: specialty nutraceuticals can potentially help millions.
4. Personalized patient treatment can offer clear advantages over traditional protocols.
Current drug development and treatment strategies often target large patient populations as homogeneous groups without consideration for variations among patients.
Specialty nutraceuticals offer pharmacists and healthcare providers more opportunities to customize or “fine-tune” treatments to specific patients’ unique needs by providing an additional way to support immune health. For pharmacists committed to learning about the best solutions to help customers who depend on their knowledge and good sense, that’s what it’s all about—supporting clients and their health.
Transfer Factor Ultra
Transfer Factor Ultra ingredients are formulated at therapeutic levels for severe illness or as prevention for significant health challenges. As with any supplement, it is advisable to seek advice from your healthcare professional to ensure it suits you.
Learn More
To learn more about medical foods, visit the FDA’s Dietary Supplements Guidance Documents and Regulatory Information.
CortControl develops and markets patented specialty nutraceuticals
CortControl develops and markets Transfer Factor Ultra and Glutrasol. These patented specialty nutraceuticals support fertility, immune health, and other health concerns.