The title of this article is an interesting topic to address, and one that I want you to think is something other than self-serving on my part but rather information that you can act on if you choose to.  My lovely wife can attest that I'm not much of a shopper and that I can take a very long time before pulling the trigger on a purchase.  When I shop, I also want a good deal, which may be why it takes so long to make the purchase.  Essentially, I want the best product for a reasonable price, making up the two most important factors, quality and value. 

As many of you know, the direction of my pharmacy has changed over the years.  We don't accept many insurance contracts.  The reason for this is due to poor reimbursement.  In the retail pharmacy world, we are paid for the pills in the bottle, not the level of care or knowledge we possess.  I wanted to spend more time with patients, and the high volume, fast-paced direction my pharmacy was headed didn't allow for the level of care I wanted to provide.

Choosing a different direction has allowed my staff and me to spend as much time with the patient as they need when going over their prescriptions.  It also allows me to schedule paid consultations where the patients can ask questions about medications, supplements, and how to improve their overall health.  My goal is to provide quality information where patients feel like they are receiving a valuable service fulfilling the two tenants of this article, quality and value.

Quality and value are an issue when speaking about supplements, and this is an example.  Recently I walked into a food club store with supplements lining the initial walk into the establishment.  One of the supplements was Fish Oil 1000mg which didn't pique my interest, so I kept walking.  After thinking about it a little more, I decided to turn around, swim upstream against the sea of carts and examine the bottle of 1000mg Fish Oil. 

Omega 3 fatty acids do a great job of decreasing triglycerides; however, the dose necessary to achieve that reduction is 2000 to 4000mg of EPA + DHA, the active forms.  The bottle of fish oil would indicate that you need 2 to 4 capsules per day to get the effect you would like based on the label.  Upon further review (a quote taken from the NFL, because it is playoff time), I found only 250mg of EPA + DHA, the active omega 3 ingredients referenced when looking for a triglyceride reduction.

Unfortunately, with the active form only 250mg per capsule, you would need to take between 8 and 16 capsules per day of the Fish Oil 1000mg.  The large volume of capsules sounds different from what most patients would consider. 

What happens if you only take 2 to 4 capsules, which doesn't benefit your triglycerides?  You, and possibly your provider, are going to think that fish oil doesn't work, and both of you will probably decide to walk away from that treatment option, and in the case of a provider, they may choose to avoid this option for all their patients.  The Fish Oil 1000mg product information is factual; however, the case of the patient and the lack of results is hypothetical, as is the provider choosing not to prescribe it going forward, but you can see where I am getting at with this scenario.

I can't speak for the company, saying they are intentionally deceiving you, but in the same breath, I don't think they are doing you a service by labeling the product the way they do.  The Fish Oil 1000mg product lacks value, and it may also be a quality issue because what are the other 750mg of fish oil contained in the capsules, and what purpose does it serve?

Another area of quality with fish oil is when patients tell you that they burp up the fish flavor.  The most likely reason is that the product is rancid.  I like to have patients try a sample if they have had problems in the past to ensure they don't get fish burps.  Our Omega 3 fish oils are guaranteed not to cause burping.

Quality in the supplement world is largely unregulated and is the burden of individual companies.  The US government also does not review dietary supplement products before they are marketed.  According to the law, manufacturers of these supplements are responsible for ensuring their products are safe and determining that the claims on their labels are accurate or truthful.  Most consumers are unaware that this is the case and will likely buy the least expensive product, which may be a concern.

The easiest way to purchase supplements is online from your couch without ever having to leave your home.  Amazon makes our lives easy, but do they do their due diligence when allowing supplement companies to sell through their portal?  Searching for curcumin gives you roughly 500 different curcumin products to choose from.  How do they keep track of all these products to ensure their quality?  Are any of the companies making counterfeit products?  What is the source of the products?  All these questions must be considered when making an online purchase.

What is the solution to ensure quality and value?  I can only reference the product lines that we stock and have grown to trust—having the ability to call the company and get a certificate of analysis for each bottle showing that they have tested the potency and purity of the products we carry.  I have confidence in the companies we utilize and even go so far as to guarantee every purchase.  My goal is for you to achieve the results you want.  Not all products work for everyone, and having multiple quality lines of supplements allows us the flexibility to design a protocol specifically for your needs.  Your name on the business creates pressure to bring you the best products for a reasonable price: quality and Value.

My staff and I look forward to helping you reach your health goals in 2023 and beyond.  If you have questions or are interested in setting up a consultation, feel free to call the pharmacy at 701-483-4858.  Please visit my website at www.irsfeldpharmacy.com to view this and other health-related articles in the blog section. 

Until next time, be vigilant about your health!!