Reaffirming the Importance of Prenatal Supplements
Reaffirming the Importance of Prenatal Supplements
Prenatal vitamins are crucial for healthy mothers and healthy babies alike. However, many expectant mothers do not currently follow a prenatal vitamin regimen, despite knowing the many health benefits for doing so. Prenatal vitamins help keep expectant mothers from missing out on vital nutrients they may be missing in their diets, and keep mineral levels optimal to help ensure their babies the best chance at healthy development. Many mothers know they should be taking prenatal supplements if they are not already following a prenatal care regimen, and pharmacies can encourage women to fill vitamin prescriptions, help ensure they are taking the right vitamins to meet their unique needs, and more.
The Journal of the American Medical Association recently published an article on a Norwegian study that linked increased folic acid levels in early pregnancy with a 40% decreased risk of the unborn child developing severe autism. Autism rates are on the rise, and increasing folic acid supplementation is easily done with the proper prenatal vitamin. Customers that are concerned about nutrient quality can easily find vitamins to fill a wide variety of dietary concerns and budget constraints. High quality raw food prenatal vitamins exist and are marketed by the Garden of Life company. If your pharmacy does not carry these particular prenatal vitamins, consider doing so to encourage customers with dietary concerns to continue a supplement regimen.
There are many other benefits to prenatal vitamins beyond the obvious. Women may not realize how many minerals are lacking from their diet, and report healthier skin, hair, and nails while taking a prenatal vitamin. Of course, minerals are best found in food–but prenatal vitamins help fill the gap between foods eaten and other environmental factors. Ensuring that both mothers and babies get the best prenatal vitamin to help bridge any nutritional gaps is necessary for keeping your customers healthy and happy.
There are many factors to consider when customers choose a prenatal vitamin, and all pharmacy staff should be open to dialogue with customers. Being able to answer any questions that expectant families may have regarding their new vitamin regime as they welcome a new family member is crucial. Calling customers to remind them to fill prescriptions that they may have forgotten during such a busy time, or encouraging automatic refills is another way that pharmacies can help new parents acclimate to their busy lifestyle. Choosing the right prenatal vitamin is a great starting point, and further streamlining of a busy schedule can go a long way toward customer satisfaction.