Q&A: Pharmavite’s Donaldson talks about the future of vitamins, supplements and women’s health
Celebrating 50 years, Pharmavite is a health-and-wellness company that believes there is a better way to being healthy than relying on prescriptions. The California-based company offers a wide range of brands, such as Nature Made and MegaFood, and is dedicated to helping people live healthier lives.
Drug Store News caught up with Pharmavite executive vice president and chief sales officer Bryan Donaldson to see what’s in store for vitamins and supplements.
[Read More: Pharmavite acquires urinary health brand Uqora]
Drug Store News: What’s new in the vitamins, minerals and supplements category?
Bryan Donaldson: What’s really new in VMS is the way consumers are engaging with the category. The focus on health has never been greater and consumers are taking a more active role than ever before in managing their personal wellness journey.
As consumers gain a better understanding of how various systems and functions work together to create optimal health, they are going deeper into VMS categories, actively seeking solutions that may help support other areas of their health.
Understanding the interplay between immunity, sleep and stress has resulted in consumers seeking out products in these areas where they need the most support. Sleep is a great example. Over the last 18 months, consumers have a greater awareness that length and quality sleep or lack thereof can directly impact other areas of their health, including their immune system.
DSN: How do you convey to consumers the benefits of vitamins and supplements?
BD: It’s really about educating consumers and being a trusted partner in their health-and-wellness journey. Over the last five decades, Pharmavite has implemented an omnichannel approach to educating consumers, not just on the importance of filling key nutrient gaps, but in understanding how to identify quality supplements from trusted producers.
We’ve sought third-party validation through reputable independent bodies, such as the United States Pharmacopeia (USP). In fact, Nature Made was the first VMS brand to earn the USP Verified Dietary Supplement mark, which independently verifies that products meet stringent quality criteria for purity and potency. We’re currently the leading VMS brand with products carrying the USP mark. Nature Made has also been the leading choice of pharmacists in key vitamin and supplement categories for over 20 years.
Speaking of pharmacists, healthcare providers play such an influential role in helping their patients navigate issues related to their health and well-being, it’s important that we continue to support that work by providing education on our ever-expanding understanding of the role nutrients play in supporting overall health.
As the leading VMS brand that has built its reputation on making quality, science-backed products, our focus is on being the gold standard that consumers and healthcare providers alike can turn to in an ocean of less than reputable brands.
DSN: Are you working on different delivery methods for vitamins and supplements?
BD: We are constantly working with new formulations and delivery formats that address real health needs, help fill nutrient gaps and ensure the consumer is surprised and delighted. We’re also thinking years into the future by creating partnerships that will help us identify new phytonutrients and exciting compounds that may help improve the health and wellness of consumers in new, unexpected ways.
DSN: After your acquisition of a urinary tract health brand, are you looking to position yourself in urinary health?
BD: The acquisition of Uqora speaks to both Pharmavite’s growth and our commitment to women’s health.
For the first 50 years, Pharmavite was synonymous with Nature Made. While Nature Made remains a critical part of our business, we’ve been focused on expanding our horizons by becoming a more multidimensional company that can provide quality solutions backed by science that support many of our consumers’ needs.
[Read More: MegaFood aims to support immune system via elderberry zinc syrup]
That growth includes the acquisition of MegaFood, whose farm-to-tablet approach to supplements resonates with consumers in the natural channel, and the launch of Nurish by Nature Made, our vitamin subscription service that offers consumers a highly personalized vitamin regimen based on their specific needs.
The acquisition of Uqora speaks to our focus on making long-term investments in providing better solutions for women to proactively manage their own health and wellness. With the leading urinary health brand as part of Pharmavite’s portfolio, we now offer an unrivaled set of solutions in the women’s health space, which also includes EQUELLE, our nonprescription dietary supplement that is clinically validated to help in managing multiple menopause symptoms.