05.31.12
The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), Arlington, VA and the Food Marketing Institute (FMI), Washington, D.C. are embarking on a joint mission to remind pharmacists about their legal obligations when selling dietary supplements in a retail setting by adding an insert page specifically for pharmacists to CRN’s “Roadmap for Retailers,” a free brochure released last year by CRN. FMI endorsed the expanded “Roadmap” tool and will work to further distribute the brochure to its retail pharmacy members. According to research from the “Life…supplemented” Healthcare Professionals (HCP) Impact Study, 93% of pharmacists recommend supplements to their patients, while 87% believe supplements can play an important role in improving or maintaining the health of their patients. With regard to which supplements pharmacists were most often asked about, the top three noted by respondents are omega 3/fish oil (noted by 75%), calcium (73%) and glucosamine/chondroitin (70%).