With the six-month sell-through period for unlicensed herbal medicines ending earlier this year, your customers might be wondering why some familiar products have been taken off the pharmacy shelves....

 

 

A survey by Ipsos MORI and the MHRA in 2008 found that 40 per cent of people thought herbal medicines were safe because they are natural. The introduction of Directive 2004/24/EC – which meant that as of May 1, 2014, unlicensed manufactured herbal medicines without a traditional herbal registration (THR) or product licence (PL) could no longer be sold to the public and must be removed from shelves – may help to remind some consumers that this is not always the case.

“Natural does not always mean safe,” says Dr Linda Anderson from the MHRA’s licensing division. “Some unlicensed herbal medicines can cause serious side-effects or may interact with other medicines that a patient is taking, [so] the public should only buy herbal medicines that they know have met standards which can be identified by the THR or PL number on the product. The aim of the THR scheme is to give people access to traditional herbal medicines that are safe, of good quality, and have information on how to use the product correctly.”

Over 300 products are now registered under the THR scheme and manufacturers can still submit applications to the scheme once they are able to meet the required standards.

What’s the category worth?

The vitamins, minerals and supplements (VMS) category is worth £37.8m in pharmacy. The total market, which is worth £349.5m across all retail outlets (IRI value sales, 52 weeks ending May 17, 2014), has fallen by 0.6 per cent (pharmacy’s share has dropped by 3.6 per cent), although the sector is outperforming its competitors when it comes to sales of evening primrose oil and B complex vitamins.

But with so much choice – of products, as well as where people can buy VMS and herbal medicines – how do you discourage your customers from shopping elsewhere or becoming overwhelmed, while capitalising on your own sales potential?

“The VMS category can be complicated to understand, with ever-changing claims about the efficacy of products, new legislation and new products on the market,” says Jacki Beesley, Numark’s retail marketing executive. “However consumers demonstrate a belief in VMS to help them remain as healthy as possible despite their lifestyles. It is therefore important for pharmacies to stock an appropriate range of VMS products and ensure that their staff understand the benefits of recommending them. Pharmacists must ensure that VMS is an area that their staff are fully briefed on so that they can cut through this mist for confused, bemused or enthusiastic VMS customers.”

Providing advice and recommendation is, after all, what sets pharmacy apart from all other retail environments and it is why customers continue to return to pharmacy. So how do you work out just who your customers are in this important category?

Identify your customer

It is important to understand the shopper demographics of the catchment area of your pharmacy, and therefore any potential to attract new custom, so you can predict what kinds of products are going to be in demand, and when.

Just as with your regular product lines, if your customers are mainly older people, then you won’t be selling many herbal teething remedies or nappy rash creams. It is also worth remembering that, as with conventional products and medicines, herbal medicines have a ‘use by’ date, so there is some risk in stocking them unless you can anticipate sufficient demand for what you’ve got.

On the whole, VMS shoppers are self-medicating, although some category entrants arrive at the fixture having been recommended a specific product and dosage by their GP. They then have the task of matching the referral to the products on the fixture. The same challenge also faces customers who feel they should be taking supplements but are unsure about what products they should choose. Many find the fixture overwhelming and walk away without making a purchase.

“It’s helpful to ask patients why they are interested in supplementation, what they hope to achieve and how the supplements will fit with dietary improvements,” says Dr Carrie Ruxton from the Health Supplements Information Service. “This will separate out those who want a quick fix – such as vitamin C or zinc for colds – from those who are looking for a targeted approach to increase a particular nutrient or family of nutrients; for example, bone health, pre-conception or wellness in old age.”

 

Spot the trends

It’s also a good idea to keep up with seasonal trends in the market and to take advantage of ‘health weeks’ to offer, for example, a trial promotional price point on larger product packs, rather than using bulk-offer promotions. For example, spring sees the start of the marathon season, which can inspire people to take up running and ask for joint care supplements. Summer, however, is all about looking good on the beach for some people, who might be after something to help with weight loss or clearer skin.

Winter is also a busy time for people looking to treat ailments with a variety of remedies. “Despite the significant low cough/cold incidence last winter, our range of licensed herbal medicines performed well in this sector and, in fact, one of our products saw a 9 per cent increase in sales,” says Lindsay Revill, brand manager for Potter’s Herbals. “This suggests that consumers are turning in favour of natural herbal products as their remedy of choice. We have also witnessed a particular growth in our natural herbal sleep aids and stress relief remedies above all other sectors this year.”

Numark has also seen the general trend for self-medication growing. “The biggest [VMS] category in Numark is energy, accounting for approximately 23 per cent of sales,” says Jacki Beesley, “followed by immune and joint care with about 11 per cent of sales each, and then everyday good health and food supplements. This would fit in with pharmacy’s core customer and the type of products they might buy. However women’s health and children’s health both account for only about 3 per cent of sales, which would indicate that this customer is buying elsewhere, perhaps at the supermarket.”

Make recommendations

For those customers who are unsure of what they are after, it’s helpful to be able to advise them on the key vitamins and minerals that are most commonly missing from our diets, as well as those that can have the most impact on health.

“The top nutrients are vitamin D, selenium and omega-3 fatty acids, as intakes of these are below optimal levels in the UK,” says Carrie Ruxton. “You can advise all patients to take a daily vitamin D supplement during the winter and, if they rarely eat oily fish, to take a fish oil or cod liver oil supplement.

“Other supplements depend on the life stage; for example, young children and elderly people have greater nutrient needs and would benefit from multivitamins, pregnant women need extra folic acid (400mcg daily) and vegans need B complex vitamins and possibly iron,” she adds.

As a general rule of thumb, Dr Ruxton suggests the following:

• Joint care: glucosamine and chondroitin remain the nutrients with the most evidence of benefit. While these did not obtain European health claim status, this was because the evidence was based on populations with existing joint problems, rather than healthy groups (which the regulation demanded)
• Eye health: there is growing evidence for lutein, zeaxanthin, zinc and omega-3 fatty acids in lowering the risk of eye problems
• Sleep problems: 5-HT can help promote a healthier sleep pattern but other reasons for sleep loss should be explored first
• Hair loss: the best evidence relates to biotin, pantothenic acid and vitamin E
• Immunity: vitamin D, zinc, iron and vitamin C at recommended levels all support a healthy immune system. Higher doses of vitamin C with zinc could hasten the end of a cold or flu
• Mental wellbeing: B complex vitamins, iron and omega-3 fatty acids are all important for normal mental health and mood
• Energy, sports performance and recovery: protein is beneficial after exercise, as are electrolyte tablets, antioxidants (vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium, zinc) and magnesium.

Maximise your merchandising in-store

Demystifying VMS is key to driving sales through pharmacy. Appropriate ranges and how they are merchandised are paramount to achieving a comprehensive, easy-to-shop vitamins fixture, so simplification is key, as Jacki Beesley explains: “The VMS category is confusing – not just to the consumer, but also to anyone trying to pick through a list of thousands upon thousands of different products, all promising to be ‘the next best thing’.

“Your fixture, layout and signage needs to be clear, impactful and concise. Vitamin shoppers spend a relatively short time at the fixture, an average of around 62 seconds. This is all the time you have to make an impact with your range. If the customer can’t find the product they want they will walk away – and they won’t come back.

“Your customer will use ‘beacon branding’ as soon as they walk through the door of the pharmacy – this helps them locate the vitamins category. Brand leaders may not always be their purchase intention but they will use these as visual triggers to help identify categories.

“Next, the type of vitamin/mineral tends to be the driver for purchase – the customer will have already decided they need cod liver oil or a multivitamin. Clear ailment-specific signposting is therefore important to help customers locate their chosen product type but also, while they are in browsing mode, to ascertain if there are any other vitamins that they may need.”

There is nothing more credible than a recommendation from a health professional

Manufacturers can supply leaflets and POS materials, so get in touch with them and see what they have to offer. According to Jacki Beesley, VMS customers are not particularly brand loyal: “They are influenced by price and promotion and once at the fixture they will compare brands on price with offers ultimately driving their purchase decision. It is not, however, appropriate to stock a variety of brands to give price choice. Brand leaders, together with an exclusive ‘value’ alternative, is all that is required. Vitamins, minerals and supplements are not generally distress purchases, so customers like to browse the fixture. Seventy-five per cent of multivitamin buyers make their brand choice at fixture.”

Extra input

As well as advising about possible drug interactions that they should be aware of – such as avoiding taking St John’s Wort with antidepressants, oral contraceptives and antihistamines – there are other benefits that your customers get from face-to-face interactions that they don’t experience in supermarkets.

For example, it’s worth explaining the recommended daily allowance so that patients understand that this is a general recommendation for the population and may not meet their own particular needs, says Dr Ruxton, “and the measurements mg and mcg can also be confusing, but it can be explained that some vitamins and minerals are needed in tiny amounts”.

“It’s also worth remembering that customers are always hungry for innovation, but they will keep returning to the pharmacy if the products which are recommended are effective.”

By stocking products from well-known brands and being able to identify the kinds of products that will suit your customers’ needs, community pharmacy is ideally placed to help consumers become more confident and, as a result, drive more purchases. And while price is certainly important to your customers, it is not the only thing they care about. Advice is the reason people come into your pharmacy because there is nothing more credible than a recommendation from a health professional.

If your customers leave the pharmacy feeling that they are better informed about their health they will return, which is why pharmacy staff need to start that conversation and be able to offer the individual, personal service that the big retailers can’t offer.