Nutraceutical and wellness products (vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and similar supplements) are written by almost every kind of doctor, often alongside other prescriptions. For a PCD partner, a nutraceutical range adds products to every visit, whatever the specialty, which is why it is one of the most common second ranges.

This guide looks at the range from the trade side: who prescribes it, what partners usually stock, how varied the dosage forms are, and how to choose a starting set.

Where the demand comes from

  • General practitioners and physicians write multivitamin, vitamin D3, calcium and iron products routinely.
  • Gynaecologists and obstetricians prescribe folic acid, iron, calcium and related combinations.
  • Orthopaedic surgeons write calcium, vitamin D3 and joint-support products.
  • Paediatricians prescribe vitamin and mineral syrups and drops.
  • Physicians in many other specialties add antioxidant or vitamin products to their prescriptions.

Because almost every doctor writes some nutraceuticals, this range fits into visits you are already making for other ranges.

The product families partners stock

In Ancare’s nutraceutical and wellness range, for example, the products include:

  • Vitamin D3 and calcium products, including calcitriol combinations;
  • iron and folic acid combinations;
  • vitamin B combinations, including methylcobalamin and pyridoxine;
  • antioxidant formulations, such as lycopene and coenzyme Q10 products;
  • omega-3 fatty acid products;
  • multivitamin and multimineral products, including zinc combinations.

Folic acid, zinc and vitamin D appear in more of Ancare’s nutraceutical products than any other ingredients.

Dosage forms

This is the most varied range in most portfolios. Of the 39 products in Ancare’s nutraceutical range at the time of writing, 16 are softgel capsules, 6 tablets, 2 capsules, 4 injections, 4 syrups, 3 oral suspensions, 2 sachets and 2 powders. For a partner, that means:

  • softgels and tablets are the volume sellers through chemists;
  • syrups, suspensions and powders take more space and need care in transit;
  • injections go mainly to hospitals and clinics;
  • softgels should be kept away from heat, which can make them stick together.

Planning a starting set

Question Why it matters
Which specialties do you already visit? Choose products those doctors write, so nutraceuticals add to existing visits
Do you need liquids for paediatric or family practice? Syrups and suspensions suit children and older patients
Is storage space limited? Bottles and powders take more space than strips
Which formulations are already common in your area? Many similar products compete; start with familiar combinations

A common starting set is a vitamin D3 product, a calcium product, an iron and folic acid combination, a multivitamin and one antioxidant, adding others as your prescribers ask for them.

Building the range over the first year

Months 1–3: products for the doctors you already visit. Add the nutraceuticals that your existing prescribers write: vitamin D3 and calcium for orthopaedic and general practice, iron and folic acid for gynaecologists, multivitamins for physicians. This lets the range grow on visits you are already making.

Months 4–6: liquids and children’s products. If you visit paediatricians or family doctors, add vitamin syrups and drops. Add omega-3 or antioxidant products if your prescribers ask for them.

Months 7–12: fill the shelf. Add the remaining forms, such as sachets, powders and injectables, only where you have customers for them. Review which products move slowly and drop them rather than carrying too many look-alikes.

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Too many similar products. Many nutraceuticals differ only slightly in composition. A smaller set that doctors actually write sells better than a long list.
  • Making health claims. Nutraceuticals are easy to over-promote. Stick to the composition, strength and form, and avoid claims beyond the labelling.
  • Storing softgels badly. Heat can make softgels stick together or deform; keep them in a cool place.
  • Overstocking bulky forms. Powders, syrups and suspensions take space and are fragile in transit; order them in smaller lots.

How to tell whether the range is working

Nutraceuticals sell as part of other prescriptions, so the best sign is that they travel with your other ranges:

  • nutraceuticals written in the same prescriptions as your gastro, ortho, gynae or neuro products;
  • chemists reordering a few core products every month, rather than many products occasionally;
  • slow products identified and dropped at your monthly stock review;
  • paediatric liquids clearing before they age, if you stock them.

If you find you are carrying many products that each sell a little, cut the list to the ones doctors write regularly. A shorter list is easier to promote and easier to keep in stock.

Questions to ask the company about this range

  1. Which vitamin D3, calcium, iron and multivitamin products are in the range, and in which forms?
  2. Which products are softgels, and how should they be stored in hot weather?
  3. Which liquids and drops suit paediatric practice, and in what pack sizes?
  4. How do the products compare with what doctors in your area already write?
  5. What promotional material is available, and does it stay within the product labelling?

The last question matters: in this range, material that over-claims can do your reputation more harm than good.

Working the range with your other ranges

Because almost every specialty writes nutraceuticals, this range works with all the others: calcium and vitamin D3 with ortho, iron and folic acid with gynae, vitamin B products with neuro and diabetic, vitamin syrups with pediatric. Choose nutraceuticals that fit the ranges you already carry, rather than building a separate set of visits for them.

Promotion

Nutraceuticals face strong competition and many look alike, so accurate information about composition and strength, and reliable supply, help your products stand out. Avoid health claims beyond what the product’s labelling supports, and follow the Uniform Code for Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices.

Ancare’s nutraceutical and wellness range

Ancare Life Sciences, Panchkula, markets 39 products in its nutraceutical and wellness range, with full compositions and packs. Look up any ingredient in our products by composition index.

See how to start a PCD pharma franchise for choosing your first ranges, or contact us for the price list for your area.